The Not So Good Guest
by nicol-leoraine
Summary: COMPLETE Tom caught some nasty virus. Voyager meet Salvorians. After one of the aliens is injured in an accident, and is beamed to Voyager' s sickbay, where Tom is just recuperating, something happens. What can I say?... hm... Tom whumping.
1. Default Chapter

Title: The Not So Good Guest Author: Nicol Leoraine Homepage: www.sweb.cz/Leoraine/Leoraine.htm Most of the stuff here is in Slovak, but I´m working on English web too. For now, you can find here some pictures /not Voyager, just 3D from bryce/ , one original story - How It Could Be, english verbs and lyrics and Links /I´d looked over them myself, and there´s some pretty good adresses - even for Voyager, so look at it/. Yeah, and the least is a list of fanfic´s - Voyager and Stargate, which I think is pretty good (with the exact adresses and mails of author´s.  
Rating: PG, PG-13 (don´t know, maybe few bad words)  
Category: angst, hurt/comfort, maybe little T/P, but I´m not really a romantic. Definitelly a Paris story, though.  
Spoilers: Nothing specific - just after Seska, there´s no Kes either. I´d seen just the last two or three series, and the info´s have from transcripts, FF, etc. Summary: Tom catch some nasty virus. Voyager meet Salvorians. After one of the aliens is injured in an "accident", and is beemed to Voyager´s sickbay, where Tom is just recuperating, something happens. What can I say... hm... Tom whumping. It seem´s, that the alien´s have some secrets and our favorite helmsman is going to find out the hard way.  
Disclaimer: They are the property of Paramount Pictures. I´m returning all characters to them unharmed (at least, not permanently)  
Archive: Anywhere, if you want. Just leave my name, e-mail and homepage on it. Feedback: Greatly appreciated. (Hey, if not for feedback, why posting it? Surely, write)  
Author´s Notes : Sorry for the delay, but I just must inform you about some facts. I´m from Slovakia, that´s a little country in the Middle Europe (we´re in EU now!!!). I don´t talk very good English (if I ever talk), but writing is something else (hey, I´m learning this language from fanfic´s and other "classic" literature). I know that there´s much gramatical and other mistakes, please, tell me, and I will correct them. The story could be perhaps better, if writed in Slovak, but I wanted something in English, just to try. This is my first Voyager, so if the characters are a little off, sorry. Now, you are free to read /grin/ And pleeeease.... send me some mails. I´m waiting.  
  
Star Trek: Voyager The Not So Good Guest "by Nicol Leoraine"  
  
It was a first encounter. The Salvorians seemed like a harmless beings. They came from the other side of the Delta Quadrant, not known by the humans on the starship named Voyager. The tall, white haired humanoids, with big black eyes and crystal blue skin, were a contrast to the humans, and some other races on the ship. Even a colorful Talaxian Neelix looked a little astonished in the shadow of the entrancing Salvorans.  
  
"Captain, the ship´s responding," Harry Kim announced.  
  
"Put them on the screen, ensign," ordered captain Kathryn Janeway and stood from her chair. On the screen appeared a blue face of the Salvorian emissar K´lau, frowning at the man next to him.  
  
"Captain Janeway, it´s my pleasure to see you again. I´m most sorry, that it can´t be accomplished at better reason. But, I must ask for your help."  
  
"How can we assist you, emissar K´lau?" asked Janeway and looked deeper into the black eyes of the alien, which seemed to penetrate through the screen.  
  
The Salvorian gave a sound, that even a universal translator couldn´t quite translate. Must be something to our huh or uhm, thought Harry Kim and expertly hided his smile, looking at the console.  
  
"My... assistent, Shril B´glar, was a victim of bad accident. She need a professional care, which we can´t provide. Our doctor was killed a few days ago in the same accident. We have to return to our mothership, as we are just a scientist, but Shril B´glar would not survive that journey. If we could ask you..."  
  
"Of course, emissar," the captain interrupted, seeing, that the men wouldn´t stop by himself. "Our sickbay is capable to treat your assitent. Will you land with your ship on Voyager?"  
  
"Oh, that´s very thoughtful, captain, but I must say no," the emissar smiled, as if the captain had just invited him to a party, where he can be a guest of honour. Even Tuvok raised his head from a console and frowned.  
  
"My crew must immediately return to our mothership, where we can inform the board. It will be better, if you could transport Shril B´glar to your ship, with two of my subordinates."  
  
"I see, that you are in hurry, emissar. We will proceed immediately. If you can inform me about the accident... perhaps it can help our doctor with treatment?"  
  
"My subordinates will inform you about everything, captain Janeway. I assure you, that we will return as soon, as it´s possible. How long will you stay in this quadrant?"  
  
"About five days. We should refill our supplies on the orbit of Jurlik VI. Then we will proceed to Freyan territory."  
  
"Ah, that´s good. If we can´t do it in time, you can leave my men on Freya III." The screen changed and the Voyager´s crew now looked at the black space, full of stars, and the surface of nameless planet with three moons. The Salvorian ship was just a small stain on the background of stars.  
  
"Lieutenant Paris, take us to transporters range," captain directed her order to the pilot, who quietly and somehow unattached watched the helm´s console. The captain frowned, then loudly repeated the command.  
  
"Lieutenant!" her strong voice efficiently cut through the grey haze in Tom´s head, and his body jerked.  
  
"Captain..." he acknowledged her, then with a dim recollection did as he was told. Harry Kim shot him a worried look, similar to the one coming from the captain. Tom, however didn´t look up from the controls and navigated the ship toward the waiting Salvorians.  
  
"Captain to sickbay," said Janeway with one hand on her commbadge, still frowning at her absent minded pilot.  
"Prepare for a transport of an injured Salvorian."  
  
"How serious it is?" asked the doctor.  
  
"Don´t know. Probably serious."  
  
"Captain, we are in range," called Paris.  
  
"The Salvorians are sending us informations about our guests," stated Harry Kim.  
  
"Send them to a transporter room."  
  
"Aye, captain."  
  
"Transporter room - lock on these signs and beam them to sickbay," ordered captain.  
  
"They´re on board," reported Vorik.  
  
"Captain to sickbay... doctor, how´s she doing?"  
  
"If you just give me few minutes to do a diagnose, captain?"  
  
"Oh... sure,"  
  
"For that matter... I have here two Salvorians, who are just as impatient. They want to talk with someone..."  
  
"Tell them, I´m on my way." At this time, the image on the screen changed and they could again see the inside of the Salvorian ship and the blue, somehow purplish face of emissar K´lau.  
  
"I´m grateful for your help, captain Janeway," he began before she could even talk.  
  
"It´s very kind of you," continued the alien. "Now we must hurry, but I will see forward to our next encounter. I hope, that our races will become a valuable allies. Be the Kra´nah with you and your crew, captain." The screen went black, only the stars borrowed some light to it. The small stain disappeared before anyone could respond, leaving behind three members of it´s crew.  
  
"Commander, the bridge is your," Captain turned to Chakotay, who nodded and took her place in the chair. Janeway once again looked at Tom.  
  
"Lieutenant, bring us to Jurlik VI.," ordered Chakotay. With a slight nod, Paris hands tapped the commands on the console and the ship headed for its course.  
  
Captain Janeway headed to the turbolift, thinking about the quick depart of Salvorians. It was just two weeks, from their first encounter. She remembered, how shocked seemed the emissar, when she first contacted him. Although he was a scientist, he just hardly accepted the fact, that outside of the Delta quadrant, there is another civilization, let alone hundreds of them. K´lau talked with them about his race - the proud, but lonely beings, witch was condemned to a life in space. Some of them had colonized planets, but soon they discovered, that life in space is easier. The plants that served as they food, needed to grow in gravitationless state, and although that could be accomplished in special chambers, they was rather in the space. Maybe it was something from their past - memoirs from times, when they were regularly attacked by other races, or exposed to nature´s elements. Take care about a spaceship was for them easier, then see after their own world. Maybe it was better this way.  
  
"Hey, Tom, wait for me," Harry called out and ran for the turbolift. The doors was about to close, when his hand slipped in, followed by the rest of his body. Harry triumfally smiled, then looked at the man next to him. Tom was pale and even Harry could tell, that he is sick. Little drops of sweet was covering his forehead, running down through his face, leaving just salt tracks. His eyes was clouded and Harry thought, that Tom must concentrate just to look at him properly.  
  
"Christ, Tom, why didn´t you say anything?" he grabbed his arm and told the computer to change a destination.  
  
"Hey, Har... what you talking about?" Tom tried to sound normal, but he has trouble breathing. Leaning on the wall, he was grateful for every breath.  
  
"Sometimes you´re really stupid, Tom!" exclaimed Harry, angry, that his friend couldn´t take care of himself. If it was someone else, Tom would´ve long ago send him to sickbay, not wait several hours, till his shift ends.  
  
"Lanna thinks that too... you talked with her?" Tom´s speech was somehow slouched, and Harry didn´t like the childlish tone of it. As if he was in delirium... touching his face, Harry cursed to himself.  
  
"Buddy, why didn´t you say, that you´re ill?"  
  
"I´m not," denied Tom and grinned.  
  
"Don´t tell me, that you´re feeling fine," resisted Harry.  
  
"Silly... everything´s flying. You know, Har... one of you is just enough," Tom smiled, then closed his eyes, when a bout of vertigo hit him. He staggered and Harry had to hold him, otherwise he would fall.  
  
"That´s it. You definitely need to see our Doc."  
  
"Gee, he will be pissed..." muttered Tom.  
  
"Nah, I´m sure, that he will be glad. You know, he really enjoys your company," joked Harry.  
  
"Yeah?" Tom seemed surprised and Harry was glad, when the turbolift stopped and they could get out. Tom was rather cute, when in this naive state, but Harry couldn´t enjoy it properly, knowing, that Tom must be really bad, to act like this.  
  
At the time the duo get to sickbay, Tom´s face gained a slightly green shade. Harry was relieved to see the door open and to hear the EMH´s old speech:  
  
"State the nature of... Ah, I see," the bald man looked at Tom, who was just fighting a wave of dizzines and trying to supress the urge to vomit. Harry, who now held almost full weight of his friend, stumpled and muttered a curse.  
  
"Doc," he called and tried to maneuvre Tom to the biobed. The hologram rushed towards him, helping him to settle the patient. When they effort was sufficient, Harry let out a breath and looked around. He waited to see three Salvorians in the area, but instead there was just one. The woman´s skin was grey, and although Harry didn´t see many Salvorians, he knew, that the colour´s wrong. Shril B´glar rested on the biobed not so far from Tom, and looked vulnerable, like anyone in sickbay. Her left eye was covered with white bandage and her body was wrapped in the cooling blanket. Harry didn´t see her move, let alone take a breath. She looked dead.  
  
"Mr. Kim... if you could hand me that basin, please?" Harry snapped out from his thoughts, and did as he was asked, just in time. Tom grabbed the basin, turned to the other side of bed, and let go of Neelix latest culinary experiment. Harry grinned and looked at the hologram.  
  
"What´s with him, Doc?"  
  
"He´s ill," stated the EMH.  
  
"Geez, like I didn´t know," muttered Harry.  
  
"So if you knew this, why, in the spirits, didn´t you bring him sooner?" reproachfully asked the doctor. Harry blushed and instead of answering, offered Tom a towel. Tom gratefully accepted it, and after cleaning his face, closed his eyes and lay down, suddenly too tired to care, where he is.  
  
"Mr. Paris," spoke the EMH. "I will not reprimerand you for your lack of judgment within health care, but the only reason for it, is your obvious discomfort. As my medical assistent..."  
  
"Doc, I´m not feeling so well, so if you just cut to the point, please," whispered Tom and shivered. Doctor frowned, then waved the tricorder over his patient and frowned more.  
  
"So I will ask straight, how long are you feeling bad, Lieutenant?  
  
"I didn´t sleep well. Have a headache..."  
  
"Why didn´t you come here?" wondered the doc. Both Tom and Harry looked at him strangely, then Tom continued.  
  
"It passed. I went to my shift. Then it was worse... some problems with concentration. Pretty hot too, and my head hurt."  
  
"You should´ve-" the Doctor started to say.  
  
"I know," interrupted him Tom. "But it get better," he assured him again. Doctor just snorted.  
  
"So, if you was better, what brings you here?" asked the Doc tauntingly, ready to give his assistent a long lecture.  
  
"It´s like a roller-coaster, Doc," breathed out Tom and massaged his temples, which started to throb. The doctor realized it and turned for some supplies. "It´s a come and go. Just every time it comes, it´s worse."  
  
"Any other symptoms?"  
  
"Nausea, hard breathing, sweating and a killing headache isn´t enough? Oh, I forgot the chills and cramping muscles." His voice sounded controlled, as if he tried to hide the pain. Harry cringed in sympathy as his friend winced and shivered. The EMH returned to biobed and Tom felt the familiar hiss of hypospray, followed by a relieving dumbness.  
  
"That was for the pain, and this is compazine, against the nausea. You should rest now."  
  
"Thanks, Doc," muttered Tom, but fought the weakness. "What´s wrong with me?"  
  
"I´m not sure," admitted the hologram, but quickly added, "I´ll need to run some tests. It seems like virus... What was your last away mission?"  
  
"On Pharbos II."  
  
"That was..."  
  
"Three weeks ago."  
  
"Hm. Yes, I remember your post mission checkup. There was nothing wrong..."  
  
"You think, that he caught something on Pharbos?" Harry paled a little. He was on that mission too. An uninhabited planet, with some traces of long lost civilization. They landed in the jungle, but how could Tom get ill? They didn´t drank nor eat anything from the planet, but maybe it was in the air or in the catacombs, which they discovered?  
  
"It´s possible," admitted the EMH. "I will know more after the tests, though."  
  
"Can it be... contagious?" Harry couldn´t stop himself, even if Tom might think, that he is coward. But Tom didn´t seem to notice, giving all of his strength, just to stay awake.  
  
"I don´t know yet, Mr. Kim," the doctor´s tone was harsh. "Probably not. But I plan to call here the others from this away team and check them, when I will know, what to look for. Till then, you can return to your quarters or stay here. But I don´t want you to disturb my patients." After this thoughtful words, the EMH´s program knocked in. "Are you feeling ill?" asked the hologram scowling, as if daring him to say yes.  
  
"No, I´m fine. I think... perhaps I will come back later, Doc."  
  
"That would be wise."  
  
"Uh... how´s doing the Salvorian woman?" Harry asked and Tom opened his eyes, for a moment surprised, because he didn´t see any woman. On the other side, he wasn´t feeling, like looking after woman, so it was understandable. Now he caught Harry´s eyes, and looked to the left. If it wasn´t for the blue colour, Tom would´ve said, that she´s pretty, maybe even attractive. Sure, he wouldn´t say that before B´Elanna, he liked to live a little longer. Tom grinned at the thought of B´Elanna chasing him throught the ship, then scowled, when a shiver run through him. He hated to be here, but he have not enough strength to even complain, so Tom just shut his eyes and drifted to sleep.  
  
"Shril B´glar will be all right in few days," responded Doc to Harry´s question.  
  
"What happened to her?"  
  
"If it would concern you, I can assure you, Ensign, that the Captain will inform you. Till then..."  
  
"Oh... So, Tom..." Harry turned to his friend, but seeing him asleep, backed away.  
  
"I´ll be back later, buddy," he tapped Tom´s right foot, gently, as to not disturb him, then turned and walked from the sickbay. The EMH returned to his patient. From the biobed retrieved the cooling blanket and covered with it Tom. Then he took few blood samples and walked with them to a laboratory. He will call the captain, when he will know, what´s they dealing with.  
  
Captain quickly paced through the corridors to sickbay. Just a few hours before, she was talking with doctor, and he assured her, that the Salvorian woman will recover. Now he wanted to talk with her, and she was afraid, that the Salvorian get turn to a worse. It would be a diplomatical nightmare, if the alien die, not talking about her own conscience and her vow, that they can take care of her. She hoped, that the hologram wants to talk about something else, maybe even complain about the lack of assistents.  
  
When she came to sickbay the first time this day, she was surrounded by two worried Salvorians while the Doc was doing some repairing surgery, so she couldn´t even talk to him.  
  
The Salvorians introduced themselves as Parc´r and L´shtar. Both of them showed a great concern for Shril B´glar, but only L´shtar was competent to tell her, what happened. Not wanting to discuss the matter in the sickbay, they entered the Doctor´s office. Parc´r silently sit in one of the chairs, while L´shtar paced the room and nervously thanked Janeway for they help.  
  
"I believe, that our doctor can help her," she told them, trying to sound serene. Parc´r nodded, but L´shtars face was a mask of worry. It seemed, that he was pretty close to that woman.  
  
"K´lau told me, that you can tell us, what happened. I will be gratefull, if you straighten out this "accident". "  
  
"Can´t your doctor tell us, if she will live?"  
  
"He´s doing, what he can, I assure you L´shtar. I don´t want to interrupt him, while he is operating,"  
  
"Yes, that is natural," said Parc´r calmly and L´shtar stopped his pacing, as if struck by boltning. One look at the pair and Janeway knew, who is the assistent, and who just a stoodge. L´shtar was here to reveal some facts, but Parc´r will observe every move, they take.  
  
"Shril B´glar is the assistent of emissar K´lau, but she also works in laboratory. She, one technician and a doctor was working with some unstable material. We don´t know exactly what happened... perhaps the technician did something wrong, or the material was defective. We don´t know. There was an explosion, in which both, the doctor and the technician was killed. Shril B´glar survived just with luck - she was at the moment behind the doors. We did everything to save her, but our ship was partly damaged and we needed to return to our mothership with report about our encounter with you. We knew, that she couldn´t survive this long journey, so K´lau contacted you. I hope, it wasn´t a mistake," refered L´shtar somehow reluctantly.  
  
"Shril B´glar may know, what happened... that´s why we are here. We need to talk with her, as soon, as she wake up. She was too confused and in pain on the ship, so we couldn´t hear out her statement."  
  
"And it will take a moment, before you can," said another voice from the door. The Captain sighed in relief, hearing the doctor´s voice.  
  
"How is she, Doctor?"  
  
"Stable. I did a repairing surgery, as her eyes were quite damaged. She is fighting an infection, and have a fever. If you can inform me about some oddments in her treatment up till now, I will be grateful."  
  
"When can we talk with her?"  
  
"Tomorrow, maybe. As soon as her fever break down. She´s sleeping now. I´m quite sure, that she will make a full recovery."  
  
"If she wake up...?"  
  
"She´s under sedation. Give her 24 hours to rest."  
  
L´shtar wanted to say something, but Parc´r shook his head.  
  
"Where can we wait till then, captain?" asked instead of him Parc´r.  
  
"I´ll take you to your quarters, or, if you´re hungry, to the messhall. I hope that you will have comfort on this ship." She showed them their ubications, then departed to take a quick lunch in the messhall herself. After a brief talk with Seven, she returned to the bridge to relieve Chakotay.  
  
It was almost 16 00, when the Doctor called her.  
  
She now walked throught the sickbay door and looked at the biobed. The Salvorian woman lay here, silent and unmoving, but clearly well enough to be left alone. Besides her, the sickbay was empty. Or, almost empty, thought Janeway, when she heard something from the bathroom. Soon from here emerged the doctor, something muttering.  
  
"You could have used the bowl, Mr. Paris. No need for the rush... I don´t want to clean half the sickbay, if you couldn´t make it in time," taunted the hologram towards the bathroom.  
  
"... just a little privacy," groaned Tom and wearily walked out, one hand clutching at his stomach, the other leaning against the wall for support. The doctor scowled at him, then helped to the nearest biobed.  
  
"Here, it will be a better place, if you want to run every time your stomach takes a turn."  
  
"You´re all heart, Doc," grumbled Tom and lie down.  
  
"Ehm," the sound startled them both. "Oh, Captain," chirmed the hologram and played with controls of the biobed.  
  
"Captain," Tom tried to smile, but insted moaned, as his head started the rock and roll. The Doc promptly injected him with some medication and sighed at the readings.  
  
"I´ll have to insist, that you stay in the bed, Lieutenant. No more running." He received another moan. "If you want privacy, don´t get ill. It´s simple. Next time try some spray."  
  
"Oh, I assure you, Doc, that I will. Next time, first kill all the insects, and just then go explore," answered rather sarcastically Tom and grinned at the captain.  
  
"Doctor?" asked Janeway a little amused. "Can we talk?" with raised eyebrows, the doctor looked at his patients, then nodded.  
  
"You, don´t move," he ordered Tom, who just gave a small laugh. Covering himself in blankets, he turned them his back and cringed. The Captain threw him a worried look, but headed for the doctor´s office. Once here, she couldn´t longer supress her worry.  
  
"Doctor, want to tell me, what´s going on with my pilot?" The hologram was taken aback by the sharp tone of her voice.  
  
"My tests aren´t done, yet," the captain looked at him sternly, "but it seems like Lieutenant Paris was bitten by some insect."  
  
"On Voyager?" exclaimed the surprised captain.  
  
"No, of course not on Voyager. By my guess, it was at Pharbos II. Ensign Kim confirmed my suspicions, with the statement about a jungle. Ideal place for viruses,"  
  
"It´s contagious?"  
  
"No. It is transmitted only with blood, so if we don´t do a big vampire party, it will not be a hazard," the hologram tried to joke, but it wasn´t the right time.  
  
"Pharbos II. It´s three weeks," the captain shook her head. "What the other members of the away team?"  
  
"I will check them out. But it´s unlikely that there will be other casualties."  
  
"What about Tom? How serious is this... illness?"  
  
"This "virus" is similar to malaria, if you know that termin."  
  
"It was transmitted by mosquitos, I know. But that was on earth, and at the end of 21. century there wasn´t any casualties, as I know."  
  
"It was mostly thanks to urbanization and some good prophylactic medicine. Then the genetic engineering changed the gens of mosquitos, so they couldn´t transmit the virus. I found in the Lieutenant´s blood a protozoas similar to malaria, but it´s not the same."  
  
"Can´t you treat him with the drugs used on Earth?"  
  
"I can and I will, but they wouldn´t change much, as the structure of this virus, is specific. I don´t know, how it will react in Mr. Paris, but I should be able to predict it."  
  
"But you can cure it, right?"  
  
The EMH get his time, before answering.  
  
"I hope so. I will start the treatment as soon as the computer finish the test. Besides that, I could provide only supportive care and hope, that his organism will fight it."  
  
"What will be the symptoms?"  
  
"Not worse than now, I suppose. If the fever don´t breake, there could be seizures or in worse case haemorrhaging, but I will monitor him, so it´s unlikely to happen." The Doctor talked with his casual calm, but the Captain saw the frown of his eyes, and that worried her.  
  
"Inform me, if anything happens,"  
  
"Yes Captain. But I wanted to talk with you about something else..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"That Salvorian woman..."  
  
"Just don´t tell me, that she is worse," pleaded the Captain.  
  
"No, she is recovering quickly, as I said."  
  
"So what´s troubling you, Doctor?"  
  
"She..." the hologram stopped, picking the right words, but not finding them, continued, "...talked. A little."  
  
"I thought, she is sedated," wondered the Captain.  
  
"Yeah, she is. Maybe the Salvorians often talk in sleep."  
  
"And...?"  
  
"Something about that accident didn´t seem right, Captain. She kept telling something about a bomb... and there´s something strange. Her injuries was caused by a blast wave from explosion, I found in her eye a piece of plast, that was used as a window or a door. She was at the other side of the doors, when it exploded."  
  
"They told us so, Doctor. They´re assuming, that she walked out of the laboratory, just us it exploded."  
  
"No. She was facing the explosion - her back wasn´t exposed to the heat, just bruised from the impact with floor or wall. But her hands were damaged in both ways."  
  
"What are you trying to say?"  
  
"She broke two bones in her right hand. There was also some bruising and cuts, but that´s not important. I want to say, that this woman knocked really hard on the door. Maybe even tried to open them with force."  
  
The Captain thought about what he said. She thought really hard, her brow furrowed and the fingers nervously tapped on the desk. Finally she looked up and sighed.  
  
"I want something from you, Doctor,"  
  
"Captain?" the EMH asked tentatively.  
  
"When the Salvorians ask you about Shril B´glar, tell them, that she´s resting. Don´t allow them to talk with her, before I´d the chance. Do you understand?"  
  
"Of course, captain. You want to talk with her first."  
  
"Yes. When she wakes up, call me."  
  
"Indeed. Captain, don´t you think, that it´s a little exaggerating? I mean... Salvorians are our guests, but nothing more. We can´t intervene, if they don´t ask."  
  
"I know it, Doctor. But as long as they´re on my ship, they are my responsibility."  
  
The Captain walked out of the office. Seeing, that Tom and the Salvorian woman are both asleep, she continued on her way.  
  
The night was long, too long for Tom. The drugs which the Doc gave him, wasn´t really working, besides the one for headache. He couldn´t feel the throbbing in his temples anymore, and was really grateful for this little comfort. But it passed, as another turn of his stomach reminded him, that he will never be able to eat something. The Doc was trying soup, but it only served as something to heat up his stomach, stayed few minutes then said goodbye and went away the same road, that it came.  
Tom was feeling miserable, and the Doc didn´t help with his own vain therapy. In the middle of the night, Tom sweared to himself, that he wouldn´t step on the planet other then in azbest uniform or wrapped in a cloud of antirepellents. It wasn´t a fun - last few hours he tried to sleep, but the nausea and urge to vomit didn´t let him. He felt tired and lousy. The Doc was in the lab, trying to find something useful, while Tom was on his side, watching the Salvorian woman, as he didn´t have nothing else to do. Sleep wasn´t an option,  
  
Shril B´glar was indeed pretty, even with the white bandage covering her eyes. Tom asked the Doc, how she´s doing and what happened to her. The Doc, maybe glad to revert his patient´s mind to something else, said him the same things as the Captain, then, somehow surprised by his own verocity, besoughted Tom to keep it for himself. Tom wasn´t so out of it, that he would tell somebody - he respected Captain Janeway too much. Not that there wouldn´t be people, who want to hear.  
  
B´Elanna rushed to the sickbay just as the Doc disappeared inside the lab, and Tom sheepishly smiled at her, when she embraced him in a strong hug.  
  
"Tom, how are you? When can you get out? What happened?" she asked it all in one rush and Tom leaned deeper into bed, trying to supress another sinking feeling.  
  
"Fine, don´t know, and a bastard insect," was his answers. B´Elanna looked him over sceptically.  
  
"How´s that I don´t believe you?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You look like shit, Paris. Worse then it, perhaps. What´s that goddamned hologram doing?"  
  
"Perhaps, I´m trying to treat him, Lieutenant Torres," came a harsh reply from behind. Tom choke down his smile, as it could be lethal in the presence of this pair, and rather awkwardly coughed. Now, both of them was looking at him, and he felt the hint of anger emerging to the surface. He didn´t like to be the object of attention, not like this. And what´s about some cough? They´re looking at him, as if he was dying, or something. Shit. He felt right that, but he will not admit it to anyone.  
  
"What?!" he barked roughly, and seeing, that their frown just deepened, moaned and closed his eyes, resigned to the world.  
  
"Tom?" B´Elanna asked sheepishly, which by himself was really scary, and the Doc was fussing over some controls.  
  
"I´m okay, ´Lanna. Just tired. You know, Neelix´s food isn´t the best for cranky stomach,"  
  
"Neelix? Harry talked about Pharbos II," B´Elanna was confused.  
  
"It was a joke, Lanna. Let him live, please,"  
  
"You...!" B´Elanna was about to say something, when the Doc cleared his throat.  
  
"What?" she grumpled and Tom felt like flying. It was scary, because he didn´t feel like that in years, from the time, when he was five and firstly put his hands on the controls. Tom sharply opened his eyes, afraid, that he will be somewhere else. But he was greated by the silence of sickbay. Looking around, Tom realized, that he dozed off, because B´Elanna was nowhere to see. It must be morning, thought Tom, when the sickbay doors opened and one man, wrapped in a dark suit, mantled from head to toe walked in. The EMH didn´t appear, when the doors opened, so Tom assumed, that the Doc is still in lab or his office.  
  
The incomer was acting really strange, though. He looked around, as if making sure, that no one is around. His sight one minute laid on Tom, but he was in the shadow, so the man couldn´t see his open eyes. Tom didn´t move a muscle, trying to look asleep. When the stranger was sure, he went straight to the bed of the Salvorian woman.  
  
Tom´s stomach lurched, as he saw the hypospray in the strangers hand. He wanted to cry out, call the Doc or just to warn the man about his presence, but his vision flickered and once again he felt like flying, just this time, he was flying from one man wrapped in dark coat.  
  
"I don´t know, Captain," it was Doctor. Tom wanted to talk, say something, but he could just listen to anxious words of the EMH.  
  
"You said, she is doing fine. What could´ve get wrong?" Captain! Tom now struggled to came out of the mist, that was surrounding him, making him feel nauseous. His stomach lurched and he moaned.  
  
"Mr. Paris," Now, it was Doc. Right, I must say something. Just ged rid of that sinking feeling, praied Tom and opened his eyes, looking into the brown one of the captain´s.  
  
"Christ," he moaned and gripped the bowl from Doc just in time. Not the best way to impress your Captain, but Hey, they´re here and ready to listen. Now just be able to talk sensible, and it will be okay.  
  
"I assume, that your nausea is back," observed the Doctor.  
  
"Ya think?" sarcastically answered Tom, then a little ashamed looked at the captain.  
  
"Sorry, Captain,"  
  
"No need to be, Tom," smiled the captain, then frowned a little. Tom didn´t look good, his face was covered in sweat, brows furrowed, as if in pain and from time to time ran through his body a shiver, which he didn´t even seem to notice. The Doctor told her, that the medication didn´t seem to work and that he´s going to try something new.  
  
"W-what´s this?" asked Tom, as the hologram was ready to administer another hypospray.  
  
"It will stop the nausea, Mr. Paris,"  
  
"No! I don´t want it!" he protested and shook his head, which didn´t help.  
  
"Tom, the doctor knew, what to do," assured him the captain.  
  
"No. Don´t want it," repeated Tom. "Makes me dizzy and dumb,"  
  
"That´s the point, Mr. Paris," the EMH was becoming frustrated.  
  
"Just wait, Doc," pleaded Tom. "Must say something," his speech was sluggish and he heard himself panicking. They will never believe him, if he looks delirious...  
  
"Cap-captain," he stuttered, as it became harder to breath properly.  
  
"What, Tom?" asked Janeway and leaned closer to him.  
  
"Someone... was here," he gritted his teeth in frustration at his own condition, but continued.  
  
"Man... in dark coat."  
  
"When?" asked the Captain, suddenly serious.  
  
"Don´t know... when B´Elanna... I... it was mid moorning, I think. B´Elanna wasn´t here, even the Doc."  
  
"What did this man?"  
  
"First just looked... to be sure... that he´s alone... I pretended sleep... then he came to the woman..."  
  
"Shril B´glar?"  
  
"Yes. He... he had a hypospray..."  
  
"Why didn´t you call me?" asked the Doctor. Tom looked at him, suddenly furious with the whole situation.  
  
"As if I could, Doc... You drugged me with this shit... I blacked out. Can´t do much in this state, don´t you think? ... And where the hell was you?!" Tom was mad, but quickly he gasped for breath. The Doc gave him the hypospray and scowled at him.  
  
"Now, Mr. Paris, this wasn´t necessary. You shouldn´t exaggerate yourself. As of where was I at the time..." The Doctor tried to respond, but he found hard to find an answer. "  
  
"Doctor?" asked the Captain.  
  
"Uh... I was deactivated," stated the surprised hologram.  
  
"By whom?"  
  
"There´s no record."  
  
"When?"  
  
"Between 04:30 and 04:35. Just five minutes."  
  
"Long enough," muttered Tom sleepily and watched, as the Doc rushed to the next biobed. The captain stayed with him and tapped his hand assuringly.  
"Tom... you are sure, that this man didn´t know about you watching?"  
  
"Don´t think so, Captain. Otherwise, he could easily get rid of me, right then," whispered Tom and blinked.  
  
"You´re tired, I´ll let you sleep," the Captain was ready to go, but Tom caught her hand.  
  
"No, please. This man... I think it was a Salvorian."  
  
"Why?" she couldn´t hide her interest.  
  
"Mmm... who other? I... the Doc told me about that explosion..." The Captain sighed.  
  
"I threatened him," The Captain smiled.  
  
"Right. You threaten the hologram, even if you can hardly stand. It´s logical,"  
  
Tom grinned.  
  
"I told him, that B´Elanna will reprogram him, if I want. Maybe change his clothes..."  
  
"She can do it?"  
  
"Uhm, maybe. But that´s not the point," halted himself Tom and supressed a yawn.  
  
"I wanted to tell," another yawn, "that explosion, could be sabotage. What if it was one of the Salvorians? Maybe they want to finish it."  
  
"On Voyager? They could´ve do it easily on their ship," objected the captain.  
  
"What if they couldn´t? K´lau could have send her here, to assure her safety, but what if one of the Salvorians is the killer?"  
  
"I´ll charge Tuvok to investigate this, Tom. Don´t bother yourself now. And, please, if anyone will ask, you slept all night. Tuvok will want to talk with you, but don´t tell others. You understand?"  
  
"Yes, Captain," answered Tom and blinked, to clear his vision. Didn´t help much, but he now saw just two captains instead of three like before.  
  
"And go to sleep, that´s an order,"  
  
"Yes, Madam," he muttered and obeyed the command.  
  
The Captain turned to the Doc, who frantically pushed some buttons on the biobed.  
  
"So, it will explain her deteriorating condition. Can you determine, what she´s been injected with?"  
  
"It´s a slowly progressing poison, one, that I am not familiar with. If lieutenant Paris didn´t tell us about our night guest, I wouldn´t look for it."  
  
"What´s this "poison" doing to her?"  
  
"I can only guess, but as the substance is affecting the brain, in short time she will die."  
  
"Can you stop it?"  
  
"Maybe. Thankfully, it´s acting slowly, so as to not warn about it´s origin. That give us a time."  
  
"Before Tom woke up, you said, that her fever spiked and that she had a seizure,"  
  
"Yes, hopefully, there will not be any damage. Now, that I know what´s causing it..."  
  
"Than you can work on the antidote," urged him the Captain, and the EMH grimly answered:  
  
"Yes, one antidote for Mrs. Shril B´glar, one for Mr. Paris. It would be helpful, if you could clone me, Captain. Perhaps you are not aware of, that Mr. Paris was my medical assistent, but I am. If Kes could be here..."  
  
"She isn´t, Doctor. But you could have a point," The hologram snorted.  
  
"I think, that Samantha Wildman can help you."  
  
"She is not qualified..."  
  
"Nobody on this ship is qualified, Doctor, so you would work with somebody, who at least know, what the tricoder is." Ending the conversation, Captain Janeway walked out from sickbay.  
  
"Commander Tuvok, I need to speak with you," she said on the bridge and pointed to her office. Tuvok nodded, conveyed his post to a young Ensign and went after the captain. Chakotay looked after him a little curious - he noticed, that the captain is under some pressure. She said him about the EMH´s suspicions, and about Tom´s condition. Both things were disturbing and when the captain was called to sickbay this morning, he was afraid, that something got worse. Now he longed to be in her office instead of Tuvok. The half Vulcan soon emerged and quickly walked to the turbolift. He couldn´t take it anymore...  
  
"Chakotay to Captain," he tapped his commbadge.  
  
"Yes, commander?"  
  
"Is everything all right, captain?" a short silence warned his senses.  
  
"Will you come to my office, Chakotay?"  
  
"On my way, captain." He registered the curious sights from the crew. It wasn´t everyday, that the captain wants to talk with security officer and her first officer in privacy. All of them heard something about the Salvorians, and they registered Tom´s absence. The grapevine of Voyager was once again hardly tested with numerous wild "truths". But the most believable story was the one, about Tom catching some alien virus from the Salvorian woman, with which he had a warm relationship. Of course, B´Elanna wasn´t at all that enthusiastic about this gossip, but she knew better than trying to stop it. Besides, if someone thinks, that Tom is in quarantine, it´s better - he didn´t really like visitors in sickbay, except of course B´Elanna, Harry and the Captain.  
  
"Kathryn...?" asked Chakotay, using captain´s first name rather then rank. She smiled and pointed to the replicator.  
  
"Want some cofee or rather tea?"  
  
"No, thanks,"  
  
"We have a problem, Chakotay," sighed Kathryn Janeway as the door behind him closed.  
  
"When he wakes up, inform me," the low voice resoned through sickbay.  
  
"I´m awake, Tuvok," muttered Tom, acknowledging his presence.  
  
"Not that I´m very fond of it, commander," intervened the Doctor grimmly.  
  
"I believe, that it will not take much time, Doctor. Perhaps, if you leave us alone, it will go faster." The EMH loured at the half Vulcan, but let them be, when Samantha Wildman slipped some instruments. Tom grasped his head as the low noise provoked his headache and through his lips slipped some curses. Tuvok raised one eyebrow and without comment shifted nearer to him.  
  
"Perhaps you indeed need doctor´s assistance?"  
  
"God, no," protested Tom strongly. "He´s fussing around me all day. It´s really annoying, especially if he can´t help. But you wanted to talk about something..." Tuvok nodded and came closer.  
  
"I need to hear your testimony about the poisoning of the Salvorian woman."  
  
"It´s not much," sighed Tom, but repeated the story. Tuvok listened, then wanted to hear some details.  
  
"What was he wearing?"  
  
"Dark coat with cowl. It was weird... like from these old holovids about fantoms."  
  
"Can you recount something specific? Was he tall, small, thin or hunched?"  
  
Tom´s brows furrowed, as he tried to remember. His forehead was covered in slight sheet of perspiration and his eyes was bright from fever. He was unconsciously pulling at the blanket, as if trying to take it off. Tuvok patiently waited for the answers, but he was considering to return later. Just as he was ready to suggest it, Tom responded.  
  
"I don´t think, that he was small. A little taller than Doc. He walked straight and dynamic. He wasn´t old, but not a child. Oh... that´s about everyone on the ship," he exclaimed, a little dissapointed. "Sorry, Tuvok. I wasn´t up very long and it was rather dark here."  
  
"It´s good, that you noticed him at all, Mr. Paris," assured him the half Vulcan.  
  
"I should have stopped him,"  
  
"I don´t think, that would be wise, Lieutenant. It could´ve ended fatally, for you. I think, that it´s all for now."  
  
"Tuvok... uh, commander," corrected himself Tom a little nervous.  
  
"You want something to add?"  
  
"No... uhm. I´d like to ask... what will you do?"  
  
"Investigate, of course. "  
  
"I thought... what if he comes back?"  
  
"Are you afraid about your safety?"  
  
"No, of course not!" answered a little offended Tom. "I´m not afraid! But what if that man find out, that Shril B´glar is not going to die? He will come back, surely. And I probably wouldn´t be able to stop him."  
  
"The questions of security are my responsibility, Mr. Paris. I can assure you, that Shril B´glar and you too, will be safe. "  
  
"Cool," answered Tom wearily and almost laughed, as Tuvok´s face changed to one of confusion.  
  
"Are you cold?"  
  
"Nah, just fine," Tom assured him quickly.  
  
"I hope, you will recover in short time," wished him Tuvok, bowed and left. Tom looked at the ceiling, not really seeing it, and thought about the Salvorians. Was it really one of them, or in the worse case, someone from Voyager? He knew, that there was some traitors in the past, for example Seska, but they all lived in the promise of a better society. Maquis and Starfleet in one ship - what could be more promising for the future?  
  
He didn´t really listen to the sounds, as Doc was still pestering Sam Wildman for her clumsiness. Tom just tried to rest, lock out the headache, forget the nausea he was still time to time feeling and get rid of the heat, that was encircling him. He just wanted to sleep and let himself fly in the cold sky. But he couldn´t. His body didn´t want him to be comfortable, as if trying to punish him. God, he will really think over the next away mission. If there will be next, sounded the little voice in his head. Tom didn´t notice the change in voices around him. Like trapped he felt himself sit up, than stand. Sam Wildman looked away from the annoying hologram just in time to see her patient go to the bathroom.  
  
Curious, she went after him. The doctor angrily looked at her retreating back, then noticed the empty biobed.  
  
"Tom?" asked Samantha and knocked on the door. "Are you all right?"  
  
No answer. The Doctor stood next her.  
  
"Where´s Mr. Paris?"  
  
"Inside."  
  
"Tom?" called Wildman second time. Nothing.  
  
"I hear water," stated the hologram, then opened the door.  
  
"Now, Mr. Paris!"  
  
Tom was sitting under the shower, water flowing right at him. His head leaning to the wall for support, hands clutching his knees. He seemed delirious, and didn´t notice the doctor´s arrival. Samantha looked in and gasped in surprise. Seeing Tom Paris under a shower was one thing, seeing him dressed, was another. Wildman´s voice pulled Doc out of amazement, and he rushed to the shower, not caring for the water, which was really cold. He turned off the shower and knelt next to Tom, who just started to shiver.  
  
"Miss Wildman... could you bring some dry clothes, please?"  
  
"Y-yes, doctor," she stammered, but didn´t move.  
  
"So go!" directed the hologram and turned to Tom.  
  
"What was you thinking?" he asked, not really expecting an answer. First thing was to undress him, then Doc wrapped Tom up in the smooth towels. Waiting for the return of Sam Wildman, Doc used the time to talking.  
  
"I´m trying to help you, and what you do? Run to the cold water. Now you´re freezing and I´m wet, which isn´t very good for my holoemitter, I suppose," rambled the EMH as Tom trembled violently.  
  
"D-d-doc...?" he asked after a while, slightly disoriented. Now, Tom knew, that he was hot, but didn´t remember a walk to the shower. He could´ve laughed, seeing someone else in this position, but being naked and shivering in the bath with Doc, wasn´t funny at all. It was a hell of a nightmare.  
  
"Mr. Paris. Next time, when you go to take a cold shower, make sure, that you aren´t dressed," responded the hologram, glad, that Tom is conscious.  
  
"C-col-d."  
  
"I suppose that was your intention."  
  
"W-ha-t the he-ll hap-pe-ened?" stuttered Tom, teeth chattering.  
  
"You took a walk."  
  
"I-I´m w-w-wet," he croacked.  
  
"Yes, that´s the usual result of shower," sighed the EMH. Knock on the door, then Samantha Wildman´s head appeared in the bathroom.  
  
"Here are the clothes," she muttered, looking at Tom, whose face was now pink from shame.  
  
"You took your time," snarled the doctor, taking the clothes. Samantha quickly left, not wanting to provoke the grumpy hologram more then necessary.  
  
Tom moaned, when the Doc tried to dry him. He wanted to dress himself, but couldn´t even stand up properly. He hated this. Be sick is one thing, do stupid excesses other. How he could manage both in one day was a mystery.  
  
"I hope, that you don´t get a pneumonia," muttered Doc as he led Tom back to sickbay.  
  
"I h-hope t-that too," stammered Tom as he lay down and began to uncontrollably shiver. "Can´t g-get m-more of t-t-this." He sneezed. The Doctor shook his head and went for a tricoder, while Sam Wildman was controlling the Salvorian woman in the private room, which they choosed after discovering the poison.  
  
"Now, it wasn´t so bad," muttered the Doc. "Your temperature is down by two degrees... it will come back, though."  
  
"Y-you can´t be an op-timist, Doc," Tom glared at him and prayed for god, that he would just fall asleep. Even if it wasn´t Him, the Doc decided, that it was enough commotion to one day and put to his neck a hypospray.  
  
"Here, drink this," the steaming glass of red liquid was put in his hands. He greeted the heat emanating from it, but the shivers running through his body made it almost impossible to hold the cup. The Doc helped him drink it, then covered Tom with double blankets and dimmed the light above his biobed to twenty percent. Tom could only welcome the darkness, which engrossed him, giving his body a much needed sleep.  
  
Well, what do you say? Please review - I need to know! You can also mail me - Second part is coming... 


	2. 2nd chapter

All disclaimers apply from the first part. I want to remind you, I´m not english, so there will be mistakes. Tell me about them and review...  
  
Star Trek: Voyager The Not So Good Guest "by Nicol Leoraine"  
  
Second Part  
  
It was a quiet night. The calmness was disrupted just once, when Ensign Caldrey, from maintenance rushed in with a bloody face, escorted by security. It appeared, that the Ensign didn´t quit understood the meaning of the words shut up, so someone silenced him with a fist. Apparrently, nobody from the thirty people in the Messhall seemed to notice, who did it, even the jovial Talaxian Neelix wasn´t able to offer a good description. Tom, who was dozing at the time, wasn´t very surprised, whereas ensign Caldrey, a former Starfleet, was a pretty annoying man. He himself found hard not to whack him sometimes, but right now could feel just a slight satisfaction, as he wasn´t in any better state. On the end, he was glad, that Caldrey wasn´t seriously injured, because spend with the man time at sickbay could´ve been worse, than the illness alone.  
  
When the complaints and curses died, as Caldrey walked away, Tom drifted into sleep, slightly thinking about what security measures did Tuvok take.  
  
His mind reeled on concepts for a new holoprogram, that he was planning, he dreamed about flying, which quickly changed into a hard journey through the scorched, heat emanating desert. He saw B´Elanna, with the glass of cool water in one hand, standing just few meters from him, but as he walked, she backed away from him. He tried to cry out, tell her, that she´s not to be afraid, but his throat was so dry, he couldn´t. So he just walked... one step after other. The image changed, B´Elanna vanished and now he was trapped in his nightmare. Sitting at the helm, and trying to save them, but all his efforts was in vain. Caldik Prime. The wreck of the ship changed, and he now stood at the court, saying, that all was just a lie. Looking at his father and seeing sorrow and something much worse... disappointment. The few weeks at Auckland, then an offer from Starfleet. Again at the helm... God, he was afraid. Not wanting to be a failure, yet knowing, that find the Maquis is impossible. But there was the caretaker, and he got a chance...  
  
The heat was unbearable. He felt trapped in his own body, like in stasis. Trying to free himself, but the only thing he achieved was that his skin seemed to be burning. Looking at his hands, he cried out, when small sparks running through his uniform raised into all consuming flames.  
  
"Mr.Paris," sounded in his mind. "Tom! Wake up! It´s just a dream," assured him the voice. Tom opened his eyes, vision blurred, but he could make out the bald head, and next to him the beautiful woman with brown skin and ridges on her forehead. B´Elanna was here, she will stop the fire.  
  
"He´s delirious, but I found something, that should reduce the fever," the Doc was practical as always, but Tom wished, that he could just once do something really effective. Maybe the shower he took before wasn´t such a bad idea.  
  
"Water," croaked Tom and at instant he was given a drink. Not precisely what he thought, but the cool liquid was really good. Now just convice them to let him take a cool shower and he will feel just like new. The problem was, he couldn´t convice them. They didn´t listen to him, as he asked for more water, instead the Doc pushed to his neck another hypospray. Tom moaned in frustration; when something wonderful touched his forehead. B´Elanna was wiping his face with a wet cloth. Tom turned closer to her touch and mumbled something as so cool. B´Elanna smiled, seeing, that he calmed down.  
  
"See? Better then your medicine," she told the Doc, who just snorted, but otherwise satisfied left the patient in the capable hands of chief engineer. In the next half hour, his fever dropped about two degrees, and B´Elanna left to her quarters, catch some sleep herself.  
  
"We want to see her," exclaimed L´shtar vehemently. It was late morning, and the Salvorians couldn´t wait to talk with the woman. But the hologram shook his head, and in low voice talked to them.  
  
"Her condition is worse,"  
  
"What are you talking about? Just yesterday you said, that she will be fine," protested L´shtar, while his colleague Parc´r silently watched the discussion. The Salvorian´s eyes turned to Tom, so he quickly pretended sleep. But he could sense the alien´s scrutiny, and felt, that his suspicions could be right.  
  
"How bad is she?" asked L´shtar and Tom was all ears, so he can get to know, what´s going on. Tom was sure, that the Doc wouldn´t tell them about Shril B´glar´s poisoning, and noway he could spill, that she´s coming around. Sometime between B´Elanna´s presence and the time, when Tom woke up, the Doc found the antidote. Now it was just a question of time, when Shril B´glar will wake up herself and tell them, who´s trying to kill her. Tom had the feeling, that she knew, otherwise, the killer wouldn´t take the risk of being caught in sickbay.  
  
"As I said to you the last night," They was there last night? How that Tom didn´t hear them? "... her fever is not coming down, and she had some seizures. Hopefully, none of them caused a brain damage, but it´s a close call. She need´s rest and special care, and I could provide her both." Ever the self-confident hologram, sighed Tom.  
  
"Can we see her?" asked the other men, and Tom heard his voice for the first time. It was rough, but straight.  
  
"Maybe later, Mr. Parc´r. My assistent is just doing some tests..."  
  
"How can we know, that she´s allright, Doctor? She could be dead, and you´re just trying to hide it," smeared him L´shtar. The EMH looked at them clearly annoyed himself.  
  
"I´m in no need to hide anything, Mr. I´m a hologram, after all. But till Shril B´glar is my patient, I will do, what´s in the best interrest of my patient. If you want to complain, go after Captain Janeway." And it was the end of discussion. The two Salvorians left the sickbay and Tom could hear the Doctor sigh in relief.  
  
"Seems like your manners are improving, Doc," joked Tom and was surprised by the smile from hologram.  
  
"Yeah, I´m spending too much time in your company, Mr. Paris. Now... have you been up long?"  
  
"Nah, just to the end. They´re really nice, this Salvorians."  
  
"Humpf," snorted Doc and came to Tom´s bed.  
  
"You know, if it was the other way... that someone from Voyager was on their ship... we would be just as impatient."  
  
"Yeah," admitted the EMH, frowning in the way, " but we wouldn´t have tried to poison him. That´s a difference."  
  
"So, the captain thinks, that it´s best not to tell them anything?" scouted Tom, curious.  
  
"She want´s to talk with the woman, first."  
  
"When will she wake up?"  
  
"Maybe at night, or tomorrow. The poison combined with her previous injuries, has some side-effects. She´s still unconscious."  
  
"That´s bad. But she will make it?"  
  
"If nothing happens, yes." The Doc wasn´t very comforable with the subject of the dialogue, so he changed it.  
  
"Now, tell me, how you feel?" Tom groaned.  
  
"That good?"  
  
"No, it´s really better, Doc," hurriedly answered Tom, not wanting the hologram think otherwise.  
  
"I see. You temperature is down, which is good. The protozoa´s are at the moment in recess..."  
  
"That´s good," exclaimed Tom, glad to hear something positive.  
  
"... but I wouldn´t be very optimistic," continued the Doc. Tom frowned.  
  
"Why not?" he asked, angry now.  
  
"Because that is just one stage. Like you said, it´s a ride on roller-coaster. The "virus" is reproducing itself in high number. The rate of this reproduction is at maximum when your fever is up, then it´s subsiding. That´s a cyclus. Now is the time, when the medication could take effect. If it can´t destroy it now, we will have to wait another 48 hours cyclus, and try another cure."  
  
"How long will be this... virus, in this "calm" state?" asked nervously Tom.  
  
"I can´t be sure, but my guess is twenty four to fourty-eight hours."  
  
"So, I can return to my quarters? When it´s inactive..."  
  
"I didn´t say, that it´s inactive. Just that the number of protozoa´s in your blood is lower. No, you can´t return to your quarters. First, I don´t really know, if my theories are true. Secondly, I said you, that this time is the best to start a treatment."  
  
Tom plaintively moaned, wishing, that Pharbos II. did never exist. He wished more, looking at the hypospray, that the Doc prepared on the nightstand.  
  
"What´s that wonder drug, you are giving me?"  
  
"The combination of AQR and quinine. It was used on Earth in the 21th century. Doctor Willesbrone improved it, so the side effects are now minimal. Every twelve hour, for a week, but if it fails in the next two days, I will continue with Maltrop."  
  
"Great," sighed Tom.  
  
"Now, don´t be so bleak, Lieutenant. If you caught this somewhere with less developed medical knowledge, you would be surely dead, by now. You´re lucky to be here."  
  
"Yeah, I thought that, Doc," answered in sombre voice Tom. The hologram was about to object, when the doors opened and Harry Kim walked in.  
  
"Ah, ensign Kim, I´m glad, that you´re here!" announced the hologram.  
  
Harry was more than surprised by the cheery welcome and looked suspiciously at Tom, who just sniffed.  
  
"Maybe your company can raise Mr. Paris´s spirit. I´m somehow unsuccesful in that task."  
  
"I wonder why," muttered Harry, far enough, that the hologram didn´t hear him, but Tom smirked, seeing his friend´s perplexed face.  
  
"Talk with him," muttered the Doc, passing Harry and tried to blink in plotting manner, failing miserably. Harry walked next to Tom, and when the hologram disappeared in his office, asked:  
  
"What the hell´s with him?" Tom smiled at his friend, then wearily sighed.  
  
"Too much time in sickbay, Har. I´m beginning to hate this all."  
  
"You´re better now?"  
  
"Oh, yeah. The prognosis is great - next two days idillic, then comes the hell again. Or not, if I am lucky. Maybe this "wonder drug" can stop it."  
  
"So... you don´t know, when you can get back to the land of living?"  
  
"Don´t have a clue." Neither one spoke a while, but when the silence was getting unbearable, they both spoke at once.  
  
"What´s going on the ship?"  
  
"Did you see Caldrey?"  
  
Tom laughed as did Harry too.  
  
"Yeah, Caldrey. He came all bloody. Who smacked him like that? I would like to congratulate..."  
  
"Uhm... I don´t really know. Unfortunatelly, I wasn´t in the messhall at the time. But Delaney´s sisters was, and Jenny said, that it looked like Harper..."  
  
"Shaila Harper? That little girl?!"  
  
"Hey, she isn´t a girl, you know. She´s older then me..."  
  
"Yeah, I know," Tom grinned and Harry turned his eyes disgusted, that he couldn´t even hit him.  
  
"I will return this, Tom. Just as you´re out of this place."  
  
"Ooh... I´m shaking," joked Tom, as his spirit was climbing up. "So... what did Caldrey do to this little woman, that she hit him so hard?"  
  
"You know, he has some similar comments about her height and age. Something about who let the kids work on this ship? type of note. You know, she may be little, but I will bet, that her right hook is pretty hard."  
  
"Yeah. What´s new on the bridge?"  
  
"Not much. We are on the orbit of this tiny little stony planet named Jurlik VI. Yesterday we was trying to find some deuterium, which the sensors indicated. We had to walk through half the planet," exagerated Harry, "to find the deposit, because the readings was fluctuating for the desert storm. Even now I´m trying to get rid of the sand."  
  
"No aliens here?"  
  
"Nope. Not a bug, oh, sorry,"  
  
"You know, I am planning a new holoprogram."  
  
"Yeah?" asked Harry interested. "What about?"  
  
"Uhm, don´t know for sure. But I have a name for it," announced Tom proudly.  
  
"What?" Harry had some suspicion.  
  
"Kill the bug! Simple enough, don´t you think?" Both grinned, as the Doc returned.  
  
"Ah, I see, that you was succesful," acclaimed Doc, and Tom´s grin disappeared.  
  
"But..." he thought, silently waiting,  
  
"But, he could use some rest, so if you will please go, Mr. Kim," said the hologram, just as Tom waited. Harry looked first at Tom, whose eyes pleaded him to stay, then at the Doc, who certainly wasn´t know by his kindness to guests.  
  
"Sorry, buddy, I must go," apologized Harry and left Tom in the "gentle" care of the EMH. At least, when Sam Wildman appeared, a little flushed from the run, apologizing, he had someone to talk to.  
  
The day was passing slowly, and Tom could be grateful just for the relatively good state. He was weary and tired, true, but the pains were gone, all but the slight headache, which he quitly tolerated, rather then take some drug. The worst thing was, he was totally bored. He asked B´Elanna, when she stopped by the lunch for a while, to bring him some padds, so he could at least read, but that was long hours ago and now he could only stare at the ceiling, or risk a talk with Doc. Sam Wildman was free to leave, as Doc didn´t need time to work on the antidote for Shril B´glar. He now tried something, which could help Tom, but he doubted, that he will succeed. Not that he needed something now. Tom was really restless and wanted to return to his quarters, not accepting the EMH´s suggestions.  
  
When the hologram was in the lab, and the sickbay was clear, Tom hesitantly sat up. His head throbbed a little more, but that was all. He let his feets touch the ground, then, leaning to the bed, tried to stand. Not bad, he thought, as he was standing straight. Now, take some steps, Tom advised himself. There, it could be. His legs was a little woobly and the room spinned, but otherwise, it was good. He took another three steps, when a voice from behind questioned:  
  
"What are you doing, Mr. Paris?"  
  
Tom quickly turned and his vision flickered, but he looked straight at the hologram.  
  
"Going to bathroom," lied Tom.  
  
"Ah, I see, that your coordination is slightly off, Mr. Paris. You was heading out of the sickbay," retorted the Doctor sarcastically.  
  
"Oh, right. The bathroom is to the left..."  
  
"Yes, Mr. Paris."  
  
Tom turned, silently cursing his luck. Surely, the Doc can stay in the lab hours, but must emerge just as he´s trying to escape. Now he didn´t have a choice, and headed for the bathroom, praying, that the Doc wouldn´t follow him. No such luck.  
  
"You know, Doc, I can do it myself," said Tom annoyed.  
  
"I know, Mr. Paris. But it´s my job to see, that you don´t get hurt. You know, how slippery this floor could be. I don´t want to patch you up with broken bones."  
  
"Like you care," muttered Tom and closed the door, leaving the hologram out. He was breathing deeply, trying to fight off the nausea and increasing anger. As he was here, he did what he have to. Washing his face, he heard voices from sickbay and hoped, that it´s some new patient. Peering through the door, he smiled. The Doc was shuffling around a security guard, with broken leg. Tom quietly walked to his bed and wearily lay down. Just the walk from the bathroom tired him, but he wouldn´t admit it to anyone. When the Doc treated the officer, telling him, that he should stay in sickbay for an hour, then came to Tom, he was pretending to be asleep. When the officer left the sickbay after a hour, he fell asleep for real.  
  
Sweet dreams, would´ve said Tom, if he wasn´t disturbed. First, the Doc woke him up, giving him his medicine, then someone hardly shook his shoulder, and interrupted the image of B´Elanna in shower, which wasn´t very tactful. Tom muttered something, and tried to shake off the disturber, but was rewarded by a loud hiss and a smack in the ribs. Bolting upright, disoriented, he looked at the blue skinned Salvorian, with resolution written in eyes.  
  
"Hey!" protested Tom at the rough awakening.  
  
"Shut up!" ordered the man and Tom was tempted to hit him. "I will say this just once, so you better listen, Mr. Paris."  
  
"What do you think you are doing?!" asked Tom angrily, when the Salvorian throwed at him a pack of clothes.  
  
"Dress yourself."  
  
"Why the hell...?"  
  
"I don´t have time, Paris," hissed the Salvorian and reached to Tom´s forearm. There, as Tom looked, was a small object attached to his skin. Tom touched it, only to yelp out, as small electrical shock hit him. "You fucking bastard, what´s this?" he asked, pointing to the orbicular object the colour of sand, which was embeded to his skin. He didn´t know, how it got here, but this blue bastard has clearly something with it.  
  
"You couldn´t take it off. Now, dress, while I tell you, what I want."  
  
Tom sat unmoving and glared at the intruder. The Salvorian sighed, not very happy, and retrieved from his pocket small control device.  
  
"You want to energize me?" commented sarcastically Tom.  
  
"No. I have two ways to do, what I need. First, you will cooperate and help me. Second, you will not cooperate. Then I press this button, and you will be injected by a strong poison. It´s unknown to your doctor, and even if you could tell him, the poison act quickly. One minute, and you´re dead, Mr. Paris. Believe me." And by his look, Tom didn´t have a reason not to. The Salvorian´s eyes were frantic and his lips twitched, even as the man didn´t realize it.  
  
"What do you want from me?"  
  
"Help. Nothing more, Mr. Paris. Believe me, I don´t want to be your enemy. Just don´t have a choice. Now, please, dress. We have something to do." Tom hesitantly complied, not knowing himself, why. Sure, the threat was very alarming, but there was a chance. He could surprise the man and take the control device from him. How he can do it? Right now, it wasn´t possible. But if the man would think, that he is cooperating, there will be a chance. So, he dressed and was surprised himself to see, that the uniform fitted him accurately. The Salvorian meanwhile looked nervously around, as if waiting for a rescue party. One hand in his pocket surely clenched the control device. Once Tom was dressed, he silently waited, not wanting to talk first. The Salvorian cleared his throat and nodded.  
  
"Now, you will wake up Shril B´glar."  
  
The request left Tom with open mouth.  
  
"You are crazy. She´s unconscious,"  
  
"The last I checked, your medicine could arouse her."  
  
"Yeah, so you should check with Doc, first. I don´t know, what to do..."  
  
"Bullshit! You´re a medic! Wake her up, or I will let you sleep, forever!" The man´s hand shaked and Tom raised his hands, surrendering.  
  
"Move," snarled the Salvorian and Tom obeyed, moving carefully.  
  
"You´ve searched our database?" he asked, walking to the room with the Salvorian woman. She lay quitly, oblivious to this world. He wished to see the doctor. Where the hell was the Doc, anyway?  
  
"We have much more advanced technology, then your race, Paris. Don´t hope, that someone will rescue you. The hologram is shut down, and the sensors from security was adapted. Lieutenant Tuvok, nor the captain will come here."  
  
"And if someone breaks a leg?" asked Tom and applied some hypospray to Shril B´glar´s neck. The Salvorian watched every his move, but smiled at his question.  
  
"Do you know, what time is?"  
  
"No,"  
  
"Three quarter four, morning. Who will break bones at this time?"  
  
"Nobody knows,"  
  
"Yeah," muttered the Salvorian and harshly looked at him. "Hey, why isn´t she awake?"  
  
"I don´t know. She was poisoned... you know about it, don´t you?"  
  
"Yeah, I thought that," admitted the man nervously. "But your doctor cured her..."  
  
"If so, she would be aw..."  
  
At this point, Shril B´glar opened her eyes and softly moaned. Tom stepped back and put to her neck another hypospray. The woman looked round herself, first disoriented, but then she spotted the man.  
  
"L´shtar," came a soft voice from her lips.  
  
"Shril," gently said L´shtar and smiled.  
  
"What...?" asked the woman, then looked at Tom, confused. "Where I am?"  
  
"It´s a long story, Shril. We have to go. Can you walk?" Tom helped her sit up, and L´shtar gave her some clothes.  
  
"Here, dress this, Shril. We will be near. Please, hurry." The woman nodded, and altough confused, she began to dress. L´shtar turned to Tom and they both walked out.  
  
"So, is that all?" asked Tom hopefully, but knowing otherwise.  
  
"No. You... must help. Retrieve the medication, that she will need, possibly that you will need too."  
  
"What?!" shrieked Tom. "You´re planning a trip? Do you know, that kidnapping is a hard delict?"  
  
"Yes, I know. In our world it´s punished by death, Mr. Paris. I don´t want to hurt you, but I need your assistance. So, pack the things Shril B´glar and you will need, and quickly." Tom groaned.  
  
"How long trip are you planning, by the way?"  
  
"Few days, possibly. Look, Paris, I said it straight. I need to take Shril to secure place. There is one, not so far. When we´ll be here, and I contact my friends, you can return to Voyager. If you´ll cooperate, no harm will happen to anyone. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yeah," muttered Tom, not happy at all. "And what warrant have I, that you will not kill me in the moment, we leave Voyager?"  
  
"Just my word."  
  
"Oh, that´s fine. People can always believe someone, who have his finger on the trigger, right."  
  
"No more wisdoms, Mr. Paris. Pack. Or you can stay right here," and the man squeezed the controller with such anger, that Tom believed him.  
  
"L´shtar?" asked the thin woman, walking from her room and looking around curiously. L´shtar came to her and smiled.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"You were injured, Shril. K´lau send you here, to Voyager. You remember the humans?"  
  
"Oh, yeah. That woman with white skin..." she looked at Tom, who was wearing a mask of tiredness.  
  
"Who´s he?"  
  
"Friend. He will help us." Tom grinned at the words.  
  
"What´s your name?" asked him Shril B´glar, and Tom looked at her, their eyes, one pair of blue, the other black like night, meet.  
  
"Tom Paris. And this man is just threatening me with this," he raised his hand and showed the little object. The woman´s eyes enlarged and she angrilly looked at the man next to her.  
  
"You used on him Tro´clan?! L´shtar, how could you?!"  
  
"I... it´s necessary. He wouldn´t cooperate..."  
  
"So what?"  
  
"Shril... Parc´r tried to kill you, here. We must go, and he can take us away. He´s a pilot, Shril,"  
  
"Hey, and you expect me to fly?" Tom looked at him incredulously. "Man, if you didn´t notice, I wasn´t in sickbay for an excursion. Just this morning I didn´t even know, what´s my name, and you´re expecting, that I will take you to a trip? You´re crazy!"  
  
"L´shtar!" the woman eyed him angrilly. "What were you thinking?"  
  
"Enough! I don´t have to listen to you. I have my job to do, so please, don´t fuss around it. Shril, I did, what was needed for your security. I didn´t have a choice, as don´t have you, in this matter. Paris, one more time, and I will end all this. Don´t be stupid, and no one will get hurt. Is that clear?"  
  
"Yes, sir," Tom almost saluted.  
  
"Now, take what you need and come. We must go."  
  
Tom put several hyposprays to his pocket, the other handed to Shril, along with a tricoder and dermal regenerator. L´shtar nodded to the doors, and silently the trio walked out.  
  
Tom thought, that perhaps Tuvok is somewhere hiding, waiting for the best time to attack. Walking trough the abandoned corridors, his hope was quickly detoriating, as his pace was brisked. They meet someone twice, both times it was some Ensign or officer, but no one from security. Tom was tempted to take a chance, when Ensign Lopez from enviromentals was passing them, but he let him pass too, as the young man was barely awake, tired from the night shift. Tom sighed, the weariness catching at him, as well as some fatigue. Three times he stumbled and the Salvorian woman looked at him worriedly. He didn´t know, what she was worrying about more, if about him, or herself, knowing, that he would fly the ship.  
  
Once they was in the dock, Tom shook himself from dark thoughts, and tried to think, but nothing came to him. There was some technicians, working on one of the flyers. Tom and two Salvorians passed them, when one of them walked to Tom, and eyed the trio suspiciously.  
  
"Lieutenant Paris," said the man and smirked. "What brings you here at this time?"  
  
"I´m escorting this two guests to Jurlik VI."  
  
"Now?" asked the man, clearly unbelieving.  
  
"Well, yeah. You know, Salvorians are different from humans, Ensign. They are awake, when we sleep, so the captain thought, that some excursion in late hours will be good."  
  
"And you was the lucky one, right?" the man now smirked and Tom supressed the urge to shout at him, that he´s an idiot, when he can fall to something like that. L´shtar grinned, as the man walked away.  
  
"Don´t try anything, Lieutenant. Believe me, you can lose more than I." whispered him the Salvorian, one hand supporting Shril B´glar, the other deep in his pocket. Tom swallowed bitter words and instead of them nodded.  
  
"Now what?"  
  
"Your ship."  
  
"Delta Flyer?" asked Tom a little surprised.  
  
"I studied your plans, Paris. It´s good shuttle. Now, move."  
  
Tom almost tripped, but obeyed, not feeling to much rebelion. The trio walked to the Delta Flyer and Tom was quickly seated at the helm, looking through controls. L´shtar helped Shril lay down in one of the cabins, and now stood next to Tom.  
  
"Start up the engines," ordered the Salvorian.  
  
"Now, just a moment, sir. I have to ask someone, probably captain or commander, for permittion to start. I don´t see, how I can get it. So, we are at the end."  
  
"You really think, that I would make all this and not thought about that?" sneered the Salvorian. "Human, you can be naive sometimes..."  
  
"Yeah. If we were not naive, your "partner" would be probably dead," quipped Tom adversely. L´shtar´s face was a shade of purple blue, and his hand was shaking.  
  
"Start the engines, Lieutenant. Don´t bother with other." L´shtar turned, retrieving from his pocket another unknown object, just this time it was bigger, like a dogged fist. The Salvorian picked it up and with gentle touch activated the mechanism.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Masking device and something more."  
  
Tom started the Delta Flyer. The communication was quiet. He was waiting for someone to notice, but nothing happened. As if everything was all right. The Delta Flyer fluttered, then quitly flyied out of the Dock. Nobody asked them, where they are going. Tom manoeuvred with surprise, not believing how easy it was.  
  
"How... how did you do it?" he asked incredulous. The Salvorian let out a small laugh, before easing himself to the chair next the helm.  
  
"I´d said, that our technology is more advanced. They will not see us, and if the men on the Dock don´t start to ask, I think, we have thirty minutes, maybe more."  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
"If they start to look, our traces will be noticeable, so first, head for Jurlik VI."  
  
"You want to land?"  
  
"No. We will go trought to strathospere, then emerge on the other side of planet. From here, we go to Jurlik VII."  
  
"That will be rough," sighed Tom.  
  
"Yes. And that´s why I have to bring you with me. I´m not very good pilot."  
  
"Perfect. So if I happen to collapse, we can all go to hell, right?"  
  
"It shall be better, if you stay conscious all the ride, Mr. Paris." The Voyager left behind, Tom wanted to know as much, as he can.  
  
"Well, if I have to safely land on Jurlik VII., perhaps you could tell me, what was all that mess about. You know, like why playing the show about you not being more developed. It wasn´t as if you needed our help, at first."  
  
"Our government has some rules. Amongs them is something similar to your Prime directive."  
  
"Wait a moment... it´s not like we aren´t developed," Tom get exited. "We are highly technically developed, you could see that."  
  
"Yeah, and brake to your computers was a matter of minutes, Lieutenant," reacted L´shtar amused. Tom frowned and nodded.  
  
"So, what you wanted to do about our encounter? I mean... would you try to establish some political alliance, or was it just a game?"  
"Not entirely, Mr. Paris. Surely, we would´ve analised the facts retrieved in that short while. Maybe our government would´ve save some contacts with you, but nothing else."  
  
"So... we are too primitive for you?"  
  
"No, in some matters, not," sighed the Salvorian. "I believe, that your race get through few rough years of war."  
  
"Yeah, you can say that," quipped Tom.  
  
"But... you´ve established some really respectable alliances. And this Federation thing... "  
  
"Was anything about your race true?" asked Tom and looked at L´shtar.  
  
"Unfortunately, yes. We don´t live on planets. At least major part of Salvorians live in the space. We have constructed some really monumental and highly developed spacestations, which could take each few million Salvorians and ride through the space, as if it was nothing. Sometime it´s incredible, what our scientist could do."  
  
"If it is so, why are you here, threatening me with poison, L´shtar? I don´t undrestand. Who are you running from?"  
  
"Yes, L´shtar, please, tell me," asked the light voice from behind and both men turned around. Shril B´glar was standing few feet behind Tom, one hand clutching her chin, the other leaning to wall for support. She was so pale, that if she was human, Tom would´ve thought, that she´s dead. But the Salvorians wasn´t humans, reminded himself Tom and squeezed his jaw, as his head began the usual throbbing. He just hoped, that Doc´s calculations was right, and he have at least thirty more hours.  
  
"Shril, you should have stayed in bed," reclaimed L´shtar and walked to her.  
  
"Yeah, I was in one, L´shtar. On that ship. Could you please explain me, why have I been at Voyager or why are we now running away? And what the hell did you think, to abduct one of them?"  
  
"Perhaps you can explain it to me, also," intervened Tom. The Salvorian apparently slumped his shoulders and indicated the woman to sit at his chair, while he began to pace through the small room.  
  
"Shril, what you remember last?" he asked, looking to her eyes. Shril frowned, contemplating her answer.  
  
"I was going after you, L´shtar. Gro´lac found something in the sample of chromoblast from...." she looked at Tom, nervously. "Well, you know from what."  
  
"What was it?" asked L´shtar exitedly.  
  
"Degeneration. The cells of our offsprings... at least those in the incubation, are genetically damaged. He found it, L´shtar. The plants for food from our gravygardens are... bad. I don´t know why. But sure as hell I know, that the government had something with it."  
  
"What happened, after you found out?" asked Tom, captured with the story.  
  
"I... I went for you, L´shtar. The CLAN must know about it, and I didn´t trust K´lau. I ran out, but when the doors closed after me, something caught my sight. I saw Le´roy comm someone, and heard him say:  
  
"They found out."  
  
"So end it."  
  
"It can damage the ship," he protested, but the voice on the other side told him, to blow it up. He didn´t see me, so I think, that we just had a bug in lab. I ran back and tried to open the door... I was so nervous, that I totally forgot the code and key. So I just beated on the door and cried at them to get out, but they didn´t hear me and then... then it just blowed up, I suppose." Her eyes were shine from tears, hands clenched in fists and face contorted in pain and anger.  
  
"So, Le´roy works with them. We should´ve know it."  
  
"How could we?" protested Shril B´glar and leaned her head into her hands, looking tired.  
  
"You should lay down, Shril," said silently L´shtar.  
  
"Like I´m the only one," sarcastically replied the woman, then looked at Tom with smile. Just then the Delta Flyer rocked, sending them all forward. Tom focused on the controls, frowning all the while.  
  
"We´re going through the Termosphere. It can be rough, so my advice is, sit down and fasten your seatbelts.  
  
"There isn´t any,"protested L´shtar, as another jolt sent him sprawling at the floor.  
  
"Yeah, then hold to something. And, please, don´t touch that small Troc´lan, otherwise we would all die," retorted Tom, not once looking up from the helm.  
  
After few really hard minutes, the ship stabilized, and Tom sighed in relief. It would be pretty awkward in times, when he´s in top condition, but now it was a challenge. He silently thanked, that Doc´s medicine keeped him on his feets, but when the Delta Flyer smoothly made his way through the red sky, Tom tumbled to the chair and wearily rubbed his eyes. The two Salvorians were whiter then the newly fallen snow.  
  
"You two are in one piece?" asked Tom, because he didn´t keep them attention, while flying.  
  
"Y-yeah," stuttered Shril, still holding the hand rest, as if it was her anchor. L´shtar was rubbing his left shoulder, where he was sporting a red bruise, from his conflict with the console.  
  
"Great. I thought, you was the best pilot," he muttered annoyed.  
  
"Yeah, well, I can anytime just faint, so you can try it yourself," angrilly replied Tom. "You know, I didn´t ask you for this ride. It´s good to be out of sickbay, but I rather have a talk with our Doc, then with you, Mister. Now, if you don´t mind, I´ll close my eyes, and you can tell Miss Shril B´glar, why are you kidnapping us from Voyager. Maybe I will understand this time." Tom covered his eyes with left hand, leaning deeply to the chair, while L´shtar growled and muttered something in his language.  
  
Shril B´glar glared at him, angry herself.  
  
"L´shtar," she hissed at him, breaking his attention.  
  
"Shril?" he asked somewhat surprised at the sound.  
  
"Talk, L´shtar. I want to hear everything, what happened, after the explosion. And don´t threaten our pilot anymore." Tom looked at her and little smile touched just the corner of his mouths. L´shtar blinked, as if just receiving a blow to the face.  
  
"Shril," his voice took on pleading quality. "Wait, till we arrive at the place..."  
  
"No, L´shtar. Talk now."  
  
So he told them, how K´lau didn´t know, what to do. How Parc´r suggested, that Shril can be taken to Voyager.  
  
"You don´t have sickbay?" asked Tom.  
  
"No, not really," answered Shril.  
  
"Then how... what you do, when someone´s get injured?" wondered Tom.  
  
"Our medicine is more based on the flow of our energy..." the woman was trying to explain him. "On every ship is one doctor - a healer. He or she, is chosen at the age of three rotations, Mr. Paris. Then he is taken to the center, where he´s going through the training to become a healer. We don´t need technology in this field. Our healers can cure almost everything. Sure, there are some substances, that they use, but... that´s all."  
  
"I will guess. Your healer was Gur´lac. Right?" L´shtar nodded.  
  
"But... if you use healers, why are you so developed in that gene technology?"  
  
"That´s something else," objected Shril B´glar. "We study our genes and cells, to understand, what´s wrong with our childrens. They´re dying, Tom. Now, we can tell, that the food, our government is producing and giving us, is damaged, and is slowly killing our future."  
  
"So you´re some sort of resistance called CLAN?" asked Tom, looking at her. She nodded.  
  
"Now, you know, why we must go, Paris. Parc´r was working for government, maybe even under K´lau´s supervision. When they sent Shril to Voyager, I accompanied her, pretending to be just a clumsy assistent, that´s easy to handle, maybe even convict from murder. But they was wrong. When Shril was poisoned, I knew, that we must leave the ship. So I just waited for time, when Shril will be able to travel."  
  
"Why didn´t you tell this to captain Janeway?" asked Tom.  
  
"So she could send as back and give out to government? Or have us killed?"  
  
"No, she will never do that."  
  
"She maybe not. But I can´t risk. Shril must be in safety, and just then the CLAN will intervene. With her statement and knowledge... she´s in grave danger. As are you, Paris."  
  
"What are you talking about?" asked Tom with a growing sensation of ice in stomach.  
  
"Oh, you surely understand, Paris. What you think will happen, once your people find out, that we are gone?"  
  
"They will search for us, of course."  
  
"Yes. But what will they think?" Tom tried to understand, but the growing headache was making it hard.  
  
"Don´t play with me, I have enough problems with the ship as it is. If you don´t want to crash, just tell me."  
  
L´shtar eyed him suspiciously, but seeing the human´s worn out features, he told him straight away.  
  
"They will think, that I was the one, who tried to poison Shril. Parc´r will just support this suspicion. Maybe he can even find some "evidences". He will navigate them after us, and it´s unimportant, that they will search for us on Jurlik VI., because Parc´r´s technology will find our traces."  
  
"So why all this camouflage?"  
  
"Even him it will take some time, and besides, he couldn´t just tell the captain, where we are. He will "contact" some friends, who will tell him about CLAN, or at least, that will be his story for your captain. We have maybe ten hours, maybe less, till they begin to search the other planets. Once on the planet, I can hide us before the sensors, but that will just buy as another few hours, till Parc´r can persuade your captain to a search mission on the planet. But at that time, Jurlik VII. will be crowded with people from the government, who will be trying to "find us" first, just to be sure, that we are dead. Now, if Parc´r realize, that you was with us almost a day, he will come to a conclusion. Not a good one, I dare to say. You understand now, Paris?"  
  
"Yeah, very clearly," answered Tom in low voice, thoughtlessly rubbing his right temple. Before he could say more, Tom stiffened and both his hands was again on the console.  
"Hold on, we are going out," he warned, as the Delta flyer once again rocked. This time it lasted longer to get the plane from thermosphere, through exosphere, the outer region of atmosphere, where the air is extremely thin. It begins about 300 miles above the surface and gradually merges with the interplanetary space. Once here, the Delta flyer steadied it´s voyage. At the time, L´shtar gripped at one of the console, while Shril B´glar ghostly frowned in the chair. Tom blinked, hardly keeping his eyes open.  
  
"Well, that´s it. We´re at the other side of Jurlik VI. I think, that a little break will not do any harm," Tom stated and half leaning on the console, he took a step away.  
  
"Were are you going?" asked L´shtar panicked and came into his way, restraining him from rest.  
  
"Look," replied Tom, annoyance clearly notable in his voice, "I´m going to lay down for a hour or two. The ship is programmed, so if you don´t touch anything, it will fly to the planet."  
  
"Yeah, but you will be piloting," uttered the Salvorian vehemently and Tom groaned, restraining his urge to throttle this guy.  
  
"You think, what you want. I´m gonna sleep. Try to prevent it, and I will just crash this ship to first meteorit, that will come around." L´shtar wanted to say something, but Tom continued, "I assume, that you don´t want to land this ship straight before your hiding place. So we will possibly take a tour. Now, I know that Jurlik VII. don´t have the best surface. If you simply don´t kill me there, I will come with you. And tell me, you want to drag me or rather your partner? Because, both of us you wouldn´t manage, I can assure you about that." Tom looked meaningly at Shril, who seemed just like him, on the verge of collapse. L´shtar frowned at her, then improvingly nodded. Tom walked around him straight into one of the cabins and lay down. He heard whispers then moves in the next cabin. He wearily closed his eyes and drifted into fitful sleep.  
  
"Sickbay to Captain!" announced her commbadge, laying on the bedside table. She grabbed at it, frustrated to be waken up in this early hours, but eager to know, what could possibly upset the hologram.  
  
"Yeah, Doctor. What´s... what´s going on?"  
  
"They´re gone!" shouted the hologram distressed and the captain sat up.  
  
"What? Who?"  
  
"My patients!" Exclaimed the Doc angrilly. "Paris and Shril B´glar," he added, when there was no answer.  
  
"Shi-" wanted to say the captain, instead of it she climbed from her bed and one hand clutching at the commbadge, the other grabbing some clothes.  
  
"How long?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"How long are they missing?"  
  
"Possibly fifty five minutes, if the readings are correct."  
  
"Where were you?"  
  
"Deactivated," murmured the hologram.  
  
"Again?" exclaimed the captain, then shook her head. "Can they even walk?"  
  
"Uhm... yeah. I believe, that someone stoled few hyposprays. If the Salvorian woman received a right drug, she can walk by herself. Not much, but fairly."  
  
"And Tom?"  
  
"Yes, he tried to sneek out few hours ago."  
  
"Why am I not surprised," muttered the captain to herself.  
  
"Ship... locate Lieutenant Tom Paris," she adressed the communicator and waited for answer.  
  
"Lieutenant Tom Paris is not present at Voyager."  
  
"Then locate Shril B´glar."  
  
"Shril B´glar is not on board Voyager," stated the computer and the Captain swore.  
  
"Captain to Tuvok!" the security chief answered almost immediately.  
  
"Tuvok, here."  
  
"Can you locate Lieutenant Paris?"  
  
Seconds later.  
  
"He is not on Voyager," answered Tuvok, his voice hiding any surprise, he might feel.  
  
"How much Salvorians are onboard?"  
  
"Only one."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Parc´r."  
  
"Meeting at my office in five minutes. Inform Chakotay and Lieutenant Torres. Captain out." The walk to the bridge didn´t take full five minutes, but when she opened the door to her office, Chakotay and Tuvok was here. Just after her arrived B´Elanna Torres, disturbed by the morning call. Seeing the officers, her brow furrowed more.  
  
"Now, sorry for the disturbing, but, we have a situation." She didn´t offer anyone to take a seat, so they stood, listening. Not waiting for their questions, she continued.  
  
"Mr. Paris and two Salvorians are missing."  
  
"What?" gasped B´Elanna. Chakotay frowned, only Tuvok didn´t express anything.  
  
"Doctor?" the hologram appeared on the screen.  
  
"Can you tell us exactly what happened?"  
  
"As I said, captain, I was deactivated between 03:40 to 04:40. When I was able to activate myself, I found out, that both my patients are gone."  
  
"Do you know, when they disappeared?"  
  
"From the readings of biobed. Normally, I would be activated, when the patient take a walk. But my protocols was somehow changed."  
  
"But the readings remained?"  
  
"Yes. I was able to assess the information. Mr. Paris left his biobed at 03:50. The Salvorian woman did so ten minutes later."  
  
"So Tom was aroused first..." speculated B´Elanna grimly. "Why?"  
  
"Shril B´glar wasn´t in the state to walk away, Lieutenant," intervened Tuvok. "We can assume, that Mr. Paris was forced to help her."  
  
"Yes, I believe so," added the hologram. "I find that some hyposprays are missing."  
  
"That will be logical," quipped Tuvok.  
  
"But why Tom?" asked B´Elanna.  
  
"He has medical experience, as well as piloting."  
  
"That´s ridiculous. I wouldn´t take a fly with someone who´s feverous. It´s a suicide."  
  
"Maybe not. Mr. Paris is quite a good pilot."  
  
"And his fever just broke down," added the doctor.  
  
"Captain, you said, that there´s two missing Salvorians. Who´s the other?" asked Chakotay.  
  
"L´shtar."  
  
"Is anyone else missing?" the captain looked at Tuvok.  
  
"No, captain. Just them."  
  
"How did they got from Voyager?" That was a million credits question.  
  
"There is just two ways to leave Voyager," said Captain Janeway. "Transporter or ship."  
  
"Nobody was transported in the last five hours," announced Tuvok. "I talked with sergeant Dillon, who had a duty, but he didn´t see anyone."  
  
"Computer... I want a list of ships leaving from Voyager in the last twentyfour hours." The screen changed and there appeared two names. Both of them left to the surface of Jurlik VI., but that was, when Tom and the Salvorians was still onboard.  
  
"Try something else," advised Chakotay. "Computer, state the number of flyers in the dock."  
  
"Twelve."  
  
"One´s missing," observed B´Elanna.  
  
"Yeah. But why don´t we know it?" asked the captain scowling.  
  
"Tuvok," she turned to the security chief. "Your men had watched the sickbay, not?"  
  
"I´m sorry, captain. I have informations, that it was Parc´r, who tried to kill Shril B´glar. My men were following his quarters, as well as him."  
  
"What with L´shtar?"  
  
"Indeed, I have two men who watched him also. But it seems, that he tricked them. He was walking from the simulator, when they lost him for a minute. Then he appeared walking to his quarters."  
  
"How did he go away?"  
  
"They found ensign Durdoff on the floor of his quarters, seemingly drunk. There was some sort of holoemitter on his clothes. I believe, that Salvorians are much more developed in technology, that we was able to detect."  
  
"So it seems," sighed captain Janeway.  
  
"But... why run away? And take a hostage?" asked B´Elanna furious.  
  
"Tuvok, you said, that Parc´r was responsible for that poisoning..."  
  
"What poisoning?" asked B´Elanna nervously.  
  
"Shril B´glar was poisoned. But Tom saw it, and the Doctor found a cure." answered her Captain and looked back at Tuvok.  
  
"I should told you that, captain," apologizing told Tuvok. "Sergeant Justis saw someone near sickbay that night. He identified him as Parc´r."  
  
"Great," muttered the captain and looked at her crew.  
  
"B´Elanna... I want you to look at our system. I have a feeling, that someone was messing with it."  
  
"Capt..." protested B´Elanna.  
  
"Take Mr. Kim, if necessary, but I wouldn´t be happy, if too much people knew. Also, send someone to take a look at the Doctor. I don´t like, that someone tampered with his protocols." Janeway stiffly looked at the half-Klingon, and Torres nodded.  
  
"Fine. Tuvok... I want a complete check of a security systems. When Durdoff will be sober enough to talk, debrief him." The Vulcan nodded and left in an instant. Remained only Chakotay and the captain let out a sigh.  
  
"Someone needs to talk with Parc´r, captain," he told her.  
  
"I know. Firstly, I want a preliminary report. I´m not very fond of this "technology", that must´ve been used for they escape. I think, that Salvorians have more advanced methods, than they would admit. Meanwhile, we can take a trip to the Dock, what are you saying, Commander?" she asked and was rewarded by a warm smile.  
  
"Can I accompany you, captain?"  
  
"I just waited for this question. Come."  
  
After a talk with the sergeant on duty, the captain and commander slowly walked to the guests apartment. The corridors were mostly empty, so they could talk about the situation.  
  
"At least, Paris was okay," said Chakotay. "If they need him for piloting, they´ll keep him all right."  
  
"Yeah, but what happens, if they land, Chakotay?" asked the captain nervously. "If Tom would get worse, do you think, that they will keep with him?"  
  
The question was disturbing and Chakotay shook his head, not knowing, how to respond.  
  
"We can only hope, that they are civilized enough to let him return."  
  
"Yeah," sighed the captain. "But they was on my ship, Chakotay. Disturbed the security system and kidnapped one of my officer. I don´t like it a bit."  
  
The doors to Parc´r´s quarters was watched by guards. They recognized the captain and commander and one of them quietly walked towards them.  
  
"Captain," the man saluted.  
  
"Report."  
  
"The Salvorian was in his quarters from eleven p.m., when he came from the messhall. There wasn´t any disturbance."  
  
"Nothing strange?"  
  
"No, captain. It´s quiet."  
  
"Thanks, sergeant." The guard saluted and returned to his post. Janeway and Chakotay stood before the door.  
  
"Parc´r, here´s captain Janeway and commander Chakotay. We need to talk with you. It´s concerning your associates." A minute of silence, then the door chirmed and opened, revealing the fully clothed Salvorian.  
  
"Yes, captain... what is so important?" he asked with low voice, then looked at the guards.  
  
"Could we come in?"  
  
"Oh, yes. Sure." He stepped aside, when the captain and commander walked in. The doors closed with a hiss.  
  
"Please, take a seat," offered Parc´r, openly glaring at Chakotay.  
  
"So, what was so important that you woke me up in the middle of the night? Or is it a custom in your race?"  
  
"No, I´m sorry, that we disturbed you. But something happened, and we felt the need to inform you."  
"Is Shril B´glar worse?" asked the Salvorian with anxiety.  
  
"We can´t say that, but it´s concerning her, as well as your associate L´shtar and one of my officer."  
  
"I don´t quite understood, captain."  
  
"L´shtar and Shril B´glar left the Voyager, about half an hour ago, with Lieutenant Paris, who was at the time in sickbay. I believe, that L´shtar kidnapped him, as well, as Shril B´glar."  
  
"How did they get away?" asked surprised Parc´r.  
  
"We don´t know. There´s some things, that should be explained to us, Parc´r. The technology, that L´shtar used to escape, must´ve been something more advanced, that we´re aware of. That offer a question - is everything, that K´lau told us truth or a lie?"  
  
"I believe, that emissar K´lau was telling you the truth," bitterly answered Parc´r and frowned. "At least, the part about our technology," his eyes shined and Parc´r enthusiastically paced through the room, something muttering under his nose.  
  
"Excuse me, what you said?"  
  
"Clan. The rebel group. It must be them. So, L´shtar is working for them," he said and his eyes angrilly sparked. "I should´ve know! That Kr´plon´toc!" The universal translator wasn´t able to interpret the word, but Chakotay was sure that it´s meaning wasn´t very praiseful.  
  
"What is the purpose of this "rebel group?" asked the captain and Parc´r quitted with cursing.  
  
"They´re fanatics. They want to live on planet, not even knowing, how hazarduous that is!"  
  
"Aren´t your people free to choose, where they want to live?" questioned Chakotay and Parc´r frowned.  
  
"Yes, surely. But it´s for they own safety... Don´t get me wrong, captain. Or people could freely go, wherever they want. But this group," he practically spitted out, "is luring our childrens to the world, where it´s impossible to live. They´re like a cult... when someone come to them, he or she will be positioned in some poor ubications, where the only thing is work. Like slaves, they´re building this unrealistic town on the planet."  
  
"What´s so wrong about it?"  
  
"It can´t exist, commander!" shouted at him Parc´r, then apologizing returned to pace. "Our race is old, captain. We travel the space hundred years, and our bodies changed. It´s possible to live on the planet, but not very long. And the childrens that was born there, are... deformed. Mostly they die."  
  
"Tell this to your people, and they will not go away," suggested the captain.  
  
"We tried, captain Janeway. But the rebells have their own propagand."  
  
"All right. I don´t know much about your policy. But right now, it´s important to find your associates, and my crewman. Do you have a clue, as to why they escaped?"  
  
Parc´r shortly thought about it, then nodded.  
  
"I think, that L´shtar kidnapped Shril B´glar, and is now on the way to the rebell´s secret base."  
  
"Base?" spoke Chakotay.  
  
"Our government believe, that somewhere in this territory is their base, commander. It was my secret mission to find out, where."  
  
"Just a moment. You aren´t here as a scientist?"  
  
"No, captain. I´m an agent of our government. Of course, it´s secret, if anyone ask you."  
  
"Indeed. "  
  
"So, you were on K´lau´s ship as agent. Why?"  
  
"We had informations, that some of his crew are members of the CLAN. K´lau´s ship was one, which frequently passed the Freyan territory, thus having the chance for spying and coupling with our enemies."  
  
"That explosion on your ship..."  
  
"I believe, that it was a sabotage. The main target was our doctor, who worked on some research. He was on the verge of a discovery, which could´ve helped our people."  
  
"You knew, that Shril B´glar would be the next target?"  
  
"Yes, we presummed it."  
  
"So why did you bring her there?"  
  
"Because, like K´lau said, she was in medical need. Our healer - doctor, as you say, was killed. We don´t have holograms, and don´t use advanced technology. Our health is strictly in the hands of a schooled doctor, with healing skills. At the time, it was safer to bring her to Voyager, than let her suffer long days."  
  
"Why didn´t K´lau stay here?"  
  
"Like he said - our government needed the reports."  
  
It was clear, that Parc´r won´t add anything more to this subject, and Janeway wasn´t really concerned about Salvorians, so much as about her pilot.  
  
"Do you know, where they can head?"  
  
"To the base," said instantly Parc´r, then frowned and shook his head. "No, that´s not right. The base had to be farther. I think... perhaps... to one of the near planet. They have a little hiding places almost everywhere in this galaxy. Yeah, if I have to say... they are somewhere near, hiding. Perhaps waiting till we end our search, or to the rescue from rebells."  
  
"You think, that Shril B´glar was kidnapped, or walked on her own will?"  
  
"I... don´t know," admitted the Salvorian grimly.  
"You know this people... what can we wait from them? Would they return our pilot?"  
  
"Don´t think so, captain. I would be surprised, if he survive longer than landing."  
  
Captain Janeway looked deeply in the black eyes, and saw something, that made her inside shudder. She stood up and nodded to Chakotay.  
  
"We have a work to do, Commander."  
  
Review, reviews please...  
  
Go to the third and last chapter. 


	3. 3nd and final chapter

Disclaimers apply. My notes on the end.  
  
Star Trek: Voyager The Not So Good Guest "by Nicol Leoraine"  
  
Third part  
  
Someone was shaking him, hard. Tom groaned and tried to shrug off the offending hands, but they just returned, more urgently. Grunting, he opened his eyes and looked into the black pair of the Salvorian´s. L´shtar didn´t seem very happy.  
  
"Paris, wake up!" he was actually yelling at him, and Tom was surprised, that he didn´t heard him sooner. Must be one hell of a sleep.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I´m up. Stop shaking me," he groaned, then sat up, wearily rubbing at his eyes.  
  
"About time," snarled at him L´shtar.  
  
"What´s up?"  
  
"If you happened to forgot, we are in the ship, which is flying. You better take the helm, I think, we are approaching the planet.  
  
"Nothing new?" asked Tom and stood, squeezing his eyes shut, as a wave of dizzines hit him. The Salvorian eyed him worriedly, and touched his arm. Tom blinked and headed for the control room. He was worried himself, knowing, that if the illness comes back in the wrong time, it could cost him his life - and while they´re on the ship, also the two Salvorians. He didn´t want it happen, but could feel the beginning of fever. Standing at the helm and controlling the course, he hardly contained his uneasiness.  
  
"Can you bring me some water?" asked Tom and greadily accepted the cool liquid.  
  
"So... what you think? They knew about us or not?"  
  
"No, oh, yes. The hologram activated himself about a hour ago, so I think, that about now, they´re searching for us. But it will take time. How long, till we land on the planet?"  
"Not long, maybe half hour. I will need coordinates - if you want to land on some special place."  
  
"Sure. Here they are." L´shtar gave him a padd with map. Tom transferred the data to computer and adjusted the course of the ship. They began the descent.  
  
"How´s your colleague?" asked Tom, don´t taking his eyes from the helm controls.  
  
"I-I think, that she will be all right. But you will need to give her something, once we land."  
  
"Yeah, I thought that. You better tell her, that we´re going to land... it could get a little harsh at times."  
  
L´shtar trotted away, but soon returned. By then, they were already on the orbit of Jurlik VII.  
  
Through the screen was opening a view of continents, wrapped in clouds and shadows. They could see one of the moons, blue like an ocean, shining on the land. The part of planet, where they wanted to land, was dark, because it was night. Tom admired the canyons, which from the height looked really fascinating. Shortly, the Delta Flyer begun to shake, but this time it wasn´t so bad and even L´shtar seemed calm. Whilst Tom payed attention only to the piloting, L´shtar took to his hands the little masking device , controlling the progress of Voyager. They were now trying to scan the surface of Jurlik VI., but there was too much interferences from the raging magnetic storm.  
  
Tom could now see that the coordinates leaded them to one of the rocky mountains. It wasn´t easy to land there, because the rocks and rangy surface, but with little luck, Tom managed. The Delta Flyer jerked twice, then stiffened, as they came down.  
  
L´shtar sighed in relief, when the motors calmed and the whole Delta Flyer lapsed into silence. Tom just stood before the helm, stiff and tense from the near future. He eyed the Salvorian, then a little device called Tro´clan, which was embeded in his arm. The pounding headache and the flush of warm, that he felt just a seconds ago, wasn´t really encouraging.  
  
L´shtar looked at Tom, then at the cabin behind himself.  
  
"You should give something to Shril," asked him in quiet voice the Salvorian. "We need to go, as soon, as she´ll be able."  
  
"Right," muttered Tom and walked to the cabin. He thought about asking L´shtar right there, what he wants to do with him, but though better of it. The Salvorian woman looked a little more apprehensive, not talking about her disapproval with L´shtar´s method. Maybe she can convice him.  
  
Kneeling next to her bed, he ran a tricoder scan. Nodding at the results, Tom inserted one hypo and waited for her awakening. L´shtar behind him nervously coughed.  
  
"How´s she?"  
  
"She needs rest. But you know it."  
  
"What the poison?"  
  
"The antidote was effective. There is no trace of the poison."  
  
"Good," grinned the Salvorian, just as the woman´s eyes fluttered.  
  
"Hey," asked Tom. "How you doing?" Shril B´glar blinked, to clear her sight, then smiled a little, trying to sit up.  
  
"Better. Little sleepy, that´s all."  
  
"You can sleep, once we are at the base," told her L´shtar and she looked up at him.  
  
"We landed?"  
  
"Yes. Once you feel to it, we can go."  
  
"How far?"  
  
"Not much," assured her L´shtar and nervously looked at the display of the masking device, which was now sitting in his palm.  
  
"Give me a minute," yawned Shril, "then we can go."  
  
"Good."  
  
"One question, though," asked the woman. "What will be with him?" she looked at Tom.  
  
L´shtar eyed him suspiciously.  
  
"He´ll come with us," he told and Tom let out a sigh.  
  
"Why? I can stay here. I will wait few hours, then I return to my ship. Once I tell the captain, what was that all about, she will not pursue you anymore."  
  
"No," barked L´shtar. "We can´t believe you, human. You will come with us. If your people find us, you will be our assurance."  
  
"You mean hostage," corrected Tom and leaned to bed, when the cabin spinned. He hardly supressed the creeping nausea.  
  
"L´shtar, he can´t go with us," said the woman frowning at him.  
  
"He is sick."  
  
"So, we have a problem. Because I will not leave him here. It´s too dangerous for us."  
  
"And what do you want to do with me, once we arrive at your base?" asked Tom angrilly. "Kill me? You can do it right now, at least, I will not feel so lousy anymore." He wasn´t really wanting to die, and he knew, that talking like that will not do him any good, but he felt like shit, and didn´t have a mood for a tour, if it can be avoided.  
  
"You´re medic. Help yourself. I don´t want to kill you, Paris, but if you can´t go with us, I will just do it, rather then risk our safety. You have five minutes. Then I will just push the button." With that, L´shtar helped the woman stand, and led her out of the cabin. Tom stayed alone.  
  
It was ludicrous. Here he was, left alone in the cabin. He could try something... free himself or take Shril as a hostage, but he knew, that it can´t work. L´shtar wasn´t playing around and he wasn´t in the condition, to try his patience. And besides, the Troc´lan was still holding him down. No, he will try, only if he know, that the others are on the way. Which reminded him of something.  
He found a padd, and left a note. He still had a few minutes, and heard, that Shril and L´shtar are arguing. Good, he thought, maybe she will help me. But the argument didn´t seem to change L´shtar´s plan, so Tom grabbed the tricoder and scanned himself.  
  
"Great," he muttered, noticing that his fever is once again elevated and that the doctor´s calculations or his medicine didn´t work. He sighed and aministered something for the headache and the nausea. At least, he could supress the symptoms. Indeed feeling a little better, he stood and joined the two now quiet Salvorians.  
  
"So, what did you choose?"  
  
"A little walk will not do any harm," replied Tom annoyed, but smiled at Shril B´glar. She bowed her head, then glared at L´shtar.  
  
"Good. Take what you need besides guns."  
  
"Hey, and how can I defend myself, if your government will come? Bite them?"  
  
"No, just use your sense of humor. It will do the job," barked L´shtar and pointed at the doors. "Now, go!"  
  
Tom took one breath and stepped out of the relative safety of the shuttle.  
  
After a hour long walk on the rocky terrain, all three of them was equally glad to arrive at the small entrance in the root of the mountain. Tom looked a little sceptical, when L´shtar pointed to the small entry, but accomplished his silent order and creeped in. Even on the knees, they was moving through low tunnel, every step raising dust and dirt. At least, the tunnel began to broaden and Tom´s breathing calmed down. He wasn´t really claustrophobic, but didn´t quite like small tunnels, particularly, when he don´t know them. At least they was somehow lightened - the walls was shining greenly, causing the tunnels look like immersed in water. Soon there was enough room to stand and L´shtar took the head, for the moment not considering Paris as a threat. Tom didn´t take his chance, because, frankly, there wasn´t a place to go. Sure, he could turn around and run for the Delta Flyer, but L´shtar can in the meantime push the button hundred times, and he will be dead before even reaching the exit. So he walked, keeping a cautious eye on both Salvorians, even if the woman looked at him apologizing.  
  
"Shril, I need your code," asked L´shtar, when they stood before black wall, seemingly at the end of their tour. But Shril B´glar just said a sentence in her mother language. Tom assumed, that it was encrypted, because even his universal translator couldn´t manage it. After L´shtar said something similar, the wall flickered. Shril was first to go trough, and Tom stumbled, when L´shtar pointed at him.  
  
"What´s that? Hologram?" he asked and touched the image, but jerked back, when his hand hit the solid matter. L´shtar smirked.  
  
"Something like that," he said and grabbed Tom´s hand. Before he could protest, L´shtar pushed him through the wall, emerging next to him. Tom´s sight wasn´t adjusted to the light that greeted them, and he had to blink a few times, to clear his vision.  
  
They was in the cave, a big, technologically equipped room with everything, that a rebell could need, when hiding. One room, maybe fifteen meters wide and ten meters long. There was at least five other exits leading deeper into the mountain or out of it. When Tom turned around, the wall through which they came in, was transparent, so Tom assumed, that the other exits will too be secured with a force field.  
  
"Make yourself comfortable," announced L´shtar and walked to the near console, grabbing something similar to PADD. Then he looked at Shril, and sat at the far end of the room. Tom sighed and watched as the Salvorian woman eased herself on the couch in the middle of the room. After a thought, he sat down next her.  
  
"How are you feeling?" he asked her, and the woman appeared surprised.  
  
"Better, thanks. And you?"  
  
"Was worse," admitted Tom and ran a hand through his hair. "I don´t really get all this rebell stuff."  
  
"What exactly?"  
  
"That hate for a planet. I mean... most wars are going on because someone want´s some planet. But your race had willingly abbandoned the really thought of a homeworld. Why?"  
  
"Not all of us want to live on ships or stations, Tom. At first... it was a necessity to learn how to live in space. When our homeworld was destroyed, Salvorians were searching for one very long. So long, that our childrens didn´t know, how to live on the earth, when they found it. But there were groups, whose dream was to live in freedom of planet, not in custody of ship. You know, our policy soon became one of power and control. The government control everything - from science, to a simple agriculture. If someone doesn´t accept their conditions , it´s like a treachery. So we have a penalty colonies, where Salvorians are forced to work for government. No payment, no care. It´s inhuman."  
  
"You mean - slavery?" asked Tom in dismay.  
  
"Not exactly... they´re prisoners, convicted criminals. But the problem is, that for the government a criminal mean anyone, who somehow break the law, even if it´s a scientist, saying, that our food have ill efects on our childrens."  
  
"I see. So your CLAN want´s a planet, right?"  
  
"Not exactly. We just want the chance, to make a choice. For our childrens. Our farmstead - or if you rather, food processing - is in the hands of a monopol. Only our governemnt have a right to produce nutritions. So it´s on the rebell fractions to gave the Salvorians a chance, to eat harmless food. Until we won´t paralyse the monopol, the black market will bloom."  
  
"What will you do now?" asked her Tom and stiffled a yawn. L´shtar was quietly talking with someone, but he was too far and Tom didn´t understand him.  
  
"I don´t know," conceded Shril B´glar with a frown. "I don´t have the exact results of the test, nor a protocol. But... now, that I know, what to look for, we will conduct these tests again, in our own laboratories."  
  
"And then?"  
  
She shrugged and looked at L´shtar.  
  
"Then we will act. But that´ll not be your concern, Mr. Paris," she told him with a slight smile.  
  
"Yeah, I assumed so much," sighed Tom, frustrated. The woman frowned at him and shook her head in protest.  
  
"We will not harm you, Tom," she tried to affirm him and Tom grinned, pointing at the small device in his right hand.  
  
"So, that´s just a last fashion style?"  
  
For a moment, Shril looked almost sorry for him.  
  
"I must apologize for L´shtars methods, Tom. I don´t agree with them, but you must understand our objectives and priorities."  
  
"Sure, I understand. But I have nowhere to go, so why don´t take it out?" he pleaded her and glanced at her with sincere look, that could move even the half-Klingon. He spotted something mirroring on her face, but just as she was ready to talk, L´shtar emerged next to them.  
  
"Your people are searching for us, on Jurlik VI. I hope, that will take them at least few hours."  
  
"B´arn?" asked Shril hesitantly.  
  
"He will come, but it can take few hours."  
  
"Voyager will find the Delta Flyer," said Tom. "Why don´t you let me go? I can distract their attention,"  
  
"Yeah, and I believe in your Gods," remarked L´shtar scornfuly.  
  
"You will stay here, till B´arn´s arrival. Just if Shril would be secure, you can go, whenever you want."  
  
"Great," muttered Tom. "But it´s a bullshit, you know. How far is this B´arn? I think, that somewhere in Freyan territory, or at least a few planets away. How long will it take for him to come? Hours? Days? And what Parc´r? You said, that he will call for a help. How do you want to deal with so much people, alone?"  
  
"They can´t find us here!" shouted L´shtar. "And Parc´r wouldn´t call the army. He sent here one group of soldiers, that´s all."  
  
"Soldiers?" asked Shril surprised.  
  
"And you think, that it´s easier to deal with a group of trained soldiers, than fly away in Delta Flyer?"  
  
"My cloaking device have limited radius. The sensors of your ship would find us."  
  
"So what? I´ll tell them, what I know. The captain is fair, she will hear you out. And the government can´t send soldiers after you to Voyager. Shril B´glar will be safe."  
  
"No! They tried to kill her once, they will try again! We are safe here, as long, as nobody tries to run away."  
  
"Tell me, what you want to do?" asked Tom pressing hard at L´shtars confidence. "Wait here till what?"  
  
"B´arn will came."  
  
"Yes, and? Even if he comes at time, there will be Voyager on the orbit and at least one another group, both trying to find us or kill us. How will B´arn help you?"  
  
"He have his methods," defended the man L´shtar, although, his voice wasn´t much more convincing, than Tom´s. He pressed again.  
  
"Return to Voyager, L´shtar. Just here you will be safe. It´s still time... no harm happened. The captain will hear you out."  
  
"No, it´s late! Parc´r now knew, that I´m with rebells. He will declare me as a traitor! Your captain then will have no other choice, just to pass me to our government. And you don´t have a clue, what is to be declared as a traitor, Mr. Paris!"  
  
"Maybe I have," commented dryly Tom, remembering his early days on Voyager, among the Maquis and Starfleet crew. He didn´t know, who hated him more, then.  
  
"We will wait," replied silently L´shtar, and returned to the console. Tom sighed and nodded in acceptance. He couldn´t do more. While Shril B´glar stood and walked after L´shtar, Tom rolled down to his side, stretching his long legs on the couch. He closed his eyes and urged himself to sleep, trying to conserve as much energy, as he can. Something told him, that he will need it soon.  
  
"Captain, I found traces from the shuttle," stated Harry Kim proudly.  
  
"Where?"  
  
"From Jurlik VI. to Jurlik VII. It seem´s like they´ve tried to escape our sensors."  
  
"You´re positive, that it´s a signature of Delta Flyer?"  
  
"Yes, captain."  
  
"Very well. Ensing Baytart, head for Jurlik VII.," commanded Janeway and looked at Chakotay.  
  
"Captain, the sensors located another ship approaching the planet."  
  
"Who are they?"  
  
"Unknown, captain," replied Harry Kim a little stressed.  
  
"Hail them, ensign,"  
  
"They´re not responding."  
  
"Can you detect any life signs, commander?" she asked Tuvok.  
  
"Five life signs, captain. They´re Salvorians," he added and slightly raised his eyebrow.  
  
"Very well," muttered Janeway. "When will they reach the planet?"  
  
"About two hours."  
  
"And we?"  
  
"Estimated time is one hour twenty minutes," announced Baytart.  
  
"Good. I want to be there first."  
  
"Captain, there is a trace of another ship on the orbit... they´re landing."  
  
"Identification?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Captain," asked Chakotay quietly, "Should I call Parc´r?"  
  
"No. I have a feeling, that maybe he has something with it, Chakotay. I don´t care, who is in that shuttle, so far as we will find them sooner."  
  
"We will bring him back," told her the commander and turned away.  
  
"I hope so," sighed the captain.  
  
The first sign of forthcoming problems was the beeping of warning controls, which Tom sensed as a roaring of sirens. He grabbed at his head, trying to stop the cacophony and almost tumbled down from the couch. When someone grabbed him and helped to sit up, he opened his eyes and looked around. The howling of the sirens stopped and was replaced by a heavy cursing. Tom blinked with relief and eased himself into the more comfortable position. Next him was the Salvorian woman, her eyes anxiously shifting between Tom and L´shtar, who was now running from one console to next, cursing.  
  
"What happened?" asked Tom and rubbed his temples. The woman before him looked as if ready to jump at the lightest touch, but surprisingly, she shed him a smile, then frowned.  
  
"Someone is coming," she told him and took a step toward L´shtar, then stopped herself. "You must help us," said the woman pleadingly and Tom was taken by surprise.  
  
"How can I?" he asked, even if he rather heard, why should he.  
  
"Come. I... I will give you a gun..." she pulled him from the couch, to the nearest tunnel, when L´shtar spotted her.  
  
"Wait!" he shouted and was instantly next to Tom, his right hand treaming the control device, his face a mask of anger and fear. The blue tone of his skin was replaced by an imposant purple, so the alien looked as if his head should any second explode. Tom would´ve laughed, if it was different situation. But as he was at the receiving end of that anger, he just cringed and unconsciously touched the device on his arm.  
  
"You! Running away?" asked L´shtar icily.  
  
"No, L´shtar," objected Shril B´glar and glared at him with such venom, that L´shtar took a step back. "He is with me. I´m going to give him a gun, and you!" she pointed at him, "will neutralize Troc´lan."  
  
"You´re crazy, Shril!" yelped L´shtar.  
  
"No! You are, if you want to poison him. Think, L´shtar. If you kill him, we don´t stand a chance. Not only Parc´r would want to kill us, but his friends too. That would be a suicide."  
  
"Okay, I neutralize it, but why are you giving him a gun?" asked L´shtar densely.  
  
"Because he can help us fight, L´shtar,"  
  
"But..."  
  
"I will not harm you," said Tom seeing, that the debate is just stealing their time. "Look, the crew of Voyager would try to negotiate. They´ll not harm you, unless you do something unwise. But if the intruders are from your government, they´ll not ask who is who. I will be equally a threat for them. So, please... disarm this device and give me something to fight with." Tom tryed to sound as unthreating, as he could and the alien slowly nodded, pushing some buttons on the control device in his hand. The Troc´lan on Tom´s arm beeped, but didn´t break away.  
  
"Take it down," asked Tom, but L´shtar shook his head.  
  
"Don´t have time. It´s inactive. Shril," the woman nodded and grabbed Tom´s arm, pulling him through one of the force fields. L´shtar returned to the console and fascinated watched, as one screen after other went black. Not long and he couldn´t see anything outside the cave. He cursed once again and followed them to one of the tunnels.  
  
The short but loud explosion pretty much disabled the forcefield at the entering. Tom and Shril were both momentarily stunned, and just the warning hiss coming from behind, jerked them to reality. They must move, and quickly. Tom didn´t know, what safety measures took the Salvorian rebels when building this complex, but L´shtar´s fear conviced him, that they wasn´t sufficient. The short and thight tunnel was diverging and soon all three of them stood in the storage room, at least, Tom thought that. Shril looked around, perhaps seeing this room for the first time herself, but L´shtar immediately headed for one of the built-in cabinet. The doors hissed when he garbled something, and L´shtar grabbed the first thing inside. Tom fascinated looked at the collection of weapons - from special combat knives, to blowtorch from Entanau 5. Even the starship phasers was there, and Tom quickly grabbed two of them. He setted them to heavy stun, not wanting to kill, but at least incapacitate the assailants. Shril B´glar was next to him looking at the sortiment - lastly, she grabbed one obscure "wristlet" from white metal. It was thin and Tom remembered the photos of snakes on Earth, precisely the one called Cobra. The bracelet was embracing the woman´s wrist, but in her palm was hidden a metal circle with red eye.  
  
"That´s your technology?" asked Tom, while looking at another weapon.  
  
"Partly. We found this on Saltra Pou, and our technicians adjusted it to our physiology. It´s working on the sonic waves."  
  
"Ah," sighed Tom and taking one of the knives from the cabinet, he turned at L´shtar.  
  
"What do you want to do now?" he asked quietly. The alien raised his head from the computer and Tom could see his despair. He silently cursed, it´s just his luck to be kidnapped by someone so... unexperienced.  
  
"Can you see, who they are and how much?" asked Tom walking to the console.  
  
"I saw one of the soldiers, before he disabled the scanning camera system. It picked up three Salvorian lifeforms at the entry and two at the spare exit."  
  
"How many exits there are?"  
  
"Three," answered L´shtar grimly. "But one is accessible only from the control room."  
  
"The second?"  
  
"We must go through the soldiers to reach that," added L´shtar.  
  
"Okay," sighed Tom and rubbed his temple, when another explosion shook the tunnels.  
  
"They must shoot off every forcefield? Couldn´t they take it off from control room?"  
  
"Yeah, but they would need my DNA for that and the code from at least one other rebell. I think they don´t want to lose time."  
  
"I don´t think either," muttered Tom and looked at the scheme of tunnels on the screen.  
  
"So, there´s another two forcefields separating them from us. Can you control them from here?"  
  
"Yes," answered L´shtar, confused. "But I can only shut them down or disable."  
  
"These tunnels... couldn´t we bury the tunnels? I mean... can the directed explosion originate a cave-in?"  
  
"Explosion not," thought loudly L´shtar.  
  
"And what about sonic waves? I think, they could do enough damage," suggested Tom and L´shtars face lit up.  
  
"That´s it! We will seal them in the tunnels."  
  
"But... wouldn´t we be equally trapped?" asked Shril B´glar walking toward the men. L´shtar frowned.  
  
"That´s true. But we don´t have to block all the exits. Just stop the men here."  
  
Another detonation remainded them, that if they want to act, they must do it now.  
  
"You can control this thing?" asked Tom and pointed to the Cobra (he named the thing on Shril´s hand so).  
  
"Yes," answered the woman.  
  
"Good. Come with me. L´shtar... you will guard our backs from the other two, alright?" L´shtar just nodded, not fiery that the human took over the command, but glad, that at least someone knew, what to do.  
  
Tom and Shril ran to the only forcefield separating them from the three soldiers. Tom could se one of them insert something to the wall, few centimeters from the force field and quickly pushed Shril to the side.  
  
"What?" she whispered with dry mouth.  
  
"We must wait, till it explodes."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It will be easier, because the tunnel will be weakened."  
  
Shril looked at him hesitantly, then nodded. The soldier inserted the little package and was backing away, to the shelter. Tom pulled Shril farther from the force field.  
  
"Be ready," he warned her. Shril B´glar eyed the force field, her hand raised, aiming at the ceiling. The explosion was stronger, than Tom thought, and he could barely keep Shril on her feets, but somehow managed, even if his head felt like exploding itself. The force field flickered and dust covered them all. Both Tom and Shril blinked hard to see the approaching shadows.  
  
"Do it, now!" shouted Tom and Shril focused her aim on the slightly damaged spot few meters in front of them. Tom fascinated looked at her hand, which was trembling slightly, then flickered like a hot air above the fire. One second he thought, that all the blue colour drained from the woman and concentrated itself in her hand, then he saw a movement as the shadows came closer.  
  
"Do it!" he cried out, just as the device on the woman´s hand fulgurated and sent a blast of invisible force to the ceiling. A milisecond nothing happened - as if time itself stopped to take a look. The shadows was unmoving and Tom thought, that it didn´t work. Just as he gripped one phaser, the ground shook. The ceiling cracked open with a powerful peal and the shock wave send them both sprawling at the floor few meters away, while the ceiling above the forcefield collapsed, burying two of the soldiers and separating the third. The crash with the floor took away the breath from Tom, but he nevertheless crawled to his knees and dragged the unresponding Salvorian away from the cave-in, hoping, that it won´t fall on them. Ten meters... then five... L´shtar was there, frantically trying to ensure they safety by pointing at the tunnel on one side, and trying to find out, if Shril B´glar was allright on the other.  
  
Tom, tired like never before, lay on the floor, gasping for breath and coughing up the dust and dirt. For a moment nothing mattered, just the need for oxygen and the cool surface of the floor. His eyes closed and he didn´t even try to stay awake. Just to sleep and wake up in his own bed... preferably with B´Elanna next to him. But that was just a plain wish. Someone was shaking him - again. He began to hate the method, with which anybody decided to arouse him, particularly this not so gentle Salvorian kidnapper.  
  
"I´m up," he groaned and opened his eyes. "Stop shaking me!" Tom snarled at the man and tried to sit up. Not an easy task, he realized, as his head swimmed and for the first time he felt the burning in his left shoulder. Must´ve bumped it into the wall, when flying, he thought grimmly and looked at the Salvorian.  
  
"Come," said L´shtar and Tom was surprised, when the man helped him to his feet. He looked around, realizing, that someone is missing.  
  
"Where is she?" he asked panicked.  
  
"Safe. For now. Hurry, or they will find us here." L´shtar was leading him to another tunnel, but Tom was hardly prepared, when the Salvorian took the step to left and disappeared in the wall. Another hologram, realized the pilot and stumbled after him. There was just a hole in the wall. Tom scrambled through the opening, feeling like four year old, when he creeped into the ventilation shaft of their house and tried to hide from his father, knowing that he will be angry for the shattered lamp in his library. Only then he was much smaller and the only danger present, was the long lecture about running in the house. Now it was far worse.  
  
Tom emerged in a little room, not bigger then the cockpit of Delta Flyer. Shril B´glar was resting in one of the chairs, and Tom just now realized, that he must´ve dozed off for a while, if L´shtar managed to lead her here. The woman looked exhausted and a little battered, but nothing to fear from, he thought, when she sent him a little smile.  
  
L´shtar pointed at the chair and seated himself, looking awkwardly from Shril to Tom.  
  
"So?" asked Tom unceremoniously and stiffled a yawn. It was far more stressful evening, that his body was prepared for.  
  
"The cave-in will delay them for a time, at least the first group."  
  
"Three out, two to go," mumbled Tom and looked at his fingernails. Yeah, it was definitely a long night.  
  
"Where are they now?" he asked and waited for the answer, which didn´t come. Tom looked up and met L´shtars uncomfortable look. He frowned.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I can´t tell, where they are. The sensors was destroyed, and they side-tracked the spare safety system."  
  
"So we are blind?"  
  
"Yes. Worse... we can´t return to the storage room. They´re probably already there."  
  
"Oh. What the force field? Didn´t they have to go through them?"  
  
"Just one, and they disabled it after the cave-in. You didn´t hear?"  
  
"Uhm... probably not. What the force field in the storage room?"  
  
"Oh... I forgot to activate it, after our departure."  
  
"Great. So they now have some extra weapons too, and if they can restore the system, they will know, where we are, right?"  
  
"I must say yes," answered L´shtar.  
  
"Can you reactivate the forcefield in the storage room?" asked Shril suddenly and both men jerked at her voice. Tom´s brow went up, while L´shtar frowned, thinking.  
  
"It could be... if I put in the code to deactivation, and it´s inactive, it will set up the safety sequence and lock up all the force fields, which will react only to another code... like yours, Shril." L´shtars face lit up in a smile, when something ocurred to him.  
  
"But... I don´t see, how I can do it. They will probably shoot first, then ask."  
  
"You leave it to me, L´shtar," said Tom and stood up, controlling his phaser. "I will divert them. How long do you need?"  
  
"Fifteen seconds,"  
  
"Good. That I can manage," Tom smirked and secretly thought - at least, I hope.  
  
"Stay here, Shril," ordered L´shtar to the woman, who just glowered at him and wiped the dirt from her face with her sleeve.  
  
"If anything, wait for Voyager," he said her a little more gently.  
  
"Be careful," she answered to the retreating backs.  
  
"How many lifeforms?" asked Captain Janeway and patiently waited for the answer.  
  
"None, captain," replied Chakotay looking at the tricoder and assessing the situation. Before him lay the Delta Flyer, seemingly undamaged and empty. The tricoder didn´t detect any lifeforms, which wasn´t very surprising, because even Voyager´s sensors couldn´t penetrate the planet´s atmosphere. They were literally blind. But the rescue team was resolute to find Voyager´s missing pilot and go home, so Chakotay nodded and with Tuvok, B´Elanna, Parc´r and three other men from the security, they entered the shuttle.  
  
It was indeed empty. Chakotay controlled the console - maybe Tom left some message - it was evident, that he was taken away as a hostage, at least, Chakotay hoped. They could´ve smoothly kill him on the Flyer, so why take him, unless there is something else?  
  
Maybe they´re not so fond of killing, admitted to himself Chakotay and grunted, when the computer didn´t give him the informations, he wanted.  
  
"They left the shuttle two hours ago, commander," declared Tuvok. "Three life forms leaving. It´s only logical to assume, that if they didn´t kill him here, they may have other plans."  
  
"Yeah, it ocurred to me as well," sighed Chakotay and turned, when B´Elanna bursted into the cockpit, her face lit up and in hand treaming a PADD.  
  
"He left a message!" she whispered and handed the PADD to Chakotay, indicating, that he should read it silently.  
  
To anyone from Voyager  
  
My abductor L´shtar is a member of rebell fraction called CLAN. The woman is a healer, and she found out something about their government. Salvorians are not what they seems - much more advanced, but their policy sucks more than ours. Shril B´glar was poisoned by Parc´r. DON´T believe him! Now, my situation. I had a choice - leave with them, or die. I choose the first. Don´t know the destination, but it will be not so far from the shuttle - because the woman couldn´t walk that much.  
  
L´shtar is threatening me with some poisoning device called Troc´lan, so I can try to escape only when it´s deactivated. I´m trying to persuade the woman.  
  
They´re not the real enemies, captain. Just trying to save their kids. Don´t harm them. And be aware of the Salvorian government and Parc´r.  
  
Tom Paris  
  
"Hm," murmured Chakotay. "How can we know, that he wrote this on his own?" he handed it to Tuvok.  
  
"The PADD was hidden in one secret panel. Just Tom and I knew about that," revealed B´Elanna frowning. Chakotay looked at her and he could swore, that she´s blushing, even if the dark Klingon skin wouldn´t show it. Then something hit him and he looked at Tuvok.  
  
"Where is Parc´r?"  
  
"I will find him," reacted Tuvok and walked out.  
  
"You read this, we will find Tom," assured her Chakotay.  
  
"Better for them, if he´ll be allright," grunted B´Elanna.  
  
"What could he mean by the policy thing?" she shrugged.  
  
"After the Monean incident? Anything." B´Elanna had a feeling, that Tom was once again drawed into the middle of the conflict. She didn´t like this idea, but Tom´s message was enough sententious. She caught the underlaying plea for not hurting the Salvorians, just like the clear warning regarding Parc´r.  
  
"He don´t want any shoot-out," noted Chakotay grimmly. "He´s probably already sympathizing with they goals."  
  
B´Elanna scowled at him and Chakotay had a wits to leave the subject. He wanted something to say, when one of the security officers ran straight into him, nearly knocking them both down. Chakotay snarled and B´Elanna grunted. The officier just blushed, stumbling out a hastle sorry.  
  
"Ensign," asked the commander crossly.  
  
"Commander Tuvok sent me... Parc´r is missing."  
  
"What!?"  
  
"Someone was supposed to be with him the whole time!"  
  
"Yes, commander. Uhm... Lieutenant Tarras was knocked out."  
  
"Is he all right?"  
  
"Unconscious."  
  
"Where is Tuvok?"  
  
"I´m here, commander," answered Tuvok from the door.  
  
"Report,"  
  
"Parc´r is gone. Tarras need medical attention."  
  
"Chakotay to Captain," he contacted Voyager.  
  
"Captain, here. Have you some news?"  
  
"Yeah. Not good. We need an emergency beam out - lock on Lieutenant Tarras commbadge."  
  
After few seconds of silence, captain´s voice returned.  
  
"He was transported to sickbay. What happened?"  
  
"We believe, that he was attacked be Parc´r, who is now missing."  
  
"Couldn´t he been kidnapped, just as Paris?"  
  
"Not likely," answered Chakotay grimmly. "Tom left a message, warning us before Parc´r and the Salvorian government. Aparrently, Paris believes, that his captors are just rebells, trying to save some... kids. But they´re threatening him with a device called Troc´lan, so..."  
  
"I see. Your priority is to find Paris. I have enough of government plays, if the Salvorians don´t want to be rescued, fine. But we need our pilot to return to Alpha Quadrant. Be careful."  
  
"Chakotay - out."  
  
"So?" asked B´Elanna. "How can we find them?"  
  
"The sensors won´t pick up the track of Lieutenant Paris or his captors, but Parc´r surely left some trails," told Tuvok and walked out of te shuttle, closely followed by two ex-maquist.  
  
"Down!" Tom cried out and launched at L´shtar, sending them both to the ground. Not one second after, few energy shots missed them by mere inches. He should´ve know, that it wouldn´t be so easy, thought Tom, shooting blindly at the place, from where one of the soldiers was trying to change their heads into a pile of dust. They was just nearing the storage room entry, when Tom spotted some movement and only with luck evaded the shot at his chest. Now laying on the floor, his breath coming out in shallow gasps, L´shtar panickly shook his head. They was in relative safety of the wall protrusion. Tom once in a while fired from his phaser, not really aiming, just trying to keep the man at distance.  
  
"Shit!" mumbled Tom, when one of the shots hit the wall and sent a shower of fragments at his head. They´ve got to think up some plan, otherwise, they are all dead.  
  
"Can´t you activate the field from here?" asked Tom whispering. L´shtar just shook his head.  
  
"I must be in three meter´s perimeter close the field. We are now at least six."  
  
"Great. So... we just have to get closer."  
  
"How?"  
  
Tom fired once again and dared to take a look. He spotted just one of the men, so he assumed, that the other is inside, trying to gain control of the system. The man was ducking at the junction of two different tunnels, using one of them as a protection. It will be hard, if not impossible, to get to him, because there was the entry to storage room, which was on the way. They would need to activate the field first, just then disarm the shooter.  
  
"Okay, here is the plan. I will cover you with fire, and you will crawl, as near, as you need."  
  
"But..." stumbled L´shtar, "what if he hit me?"  
  
"Then you will not have to bother more. I will cover you, don´t be afraid. You just crawl. It´s dark, he wouldn´t see you anyway. Be quick. Once the field is activated, I will accompany you. Okay?"  
  
L´shtar just nodded and Tom let him ahead. L´shtar lay down on the cold floor and prayed to any god which he could think of, to save his poor soul. Tom took a deep breath, then nudged L´shtar to move. He fired, covering his move and hoped, that L´shtar will keep moving, even if some of the shots nearly missed his head. Tom kept firing, and prepared the second phaser, because that one was going to be without energy too soon. The soldier on the other side must´ve realized, that it´s some kind of diversion, because he now begun to shoot at L´shtar, who was just nearing the storage room. When one of the shots found its target, L´shtar yelped out in pain and stayed put in place, so Tom didn´t know, if he is dead or not. The soldier stopped firing, and Tom debated, if it´s a trap, or if his weapon just need a change of cartridge.  
  
He didn´t have much of an option - he could return to Shril, or try and save L´shtar, if there was something to save. Groaning, Tom knelt and began to crawl out, when his eyes spotted a movement. L´shtar wasn´t dead, and Tom could now beside the moaning hear also the codes. In the moment, something beeped and the forcefield activated, so now there was just the corridor, the entry to storage room sealed.  
  
"Yes!" hissed Tom and continued towards L´shtar´s now shaking body. The soldier was quiet for the moment, perhaps trying to find out, what happened.  
  
"You hurt bad?" asked Tom and looked at L´shtar, whose color was in the dimly lit coridor a scary shade of green.  
  
"Just a shoulder," whispered L´shtar, pressing one hand at the wound, seeping purple blood.  
  
"Return to Shril," said Tom silently and was grateful, when the alien obeyed. Now, there was just a matter of one soldier, who somewhere disappeared...  
  
...or is just trying to make us think that, thought Tom, as something rolled on the floor, straight toward him. Tom didn´t have a time... he just closed his eyes and tried to shirk from the thing. He managed to get himself to the wall, when the world exploded. Something just ripped his brain out of his skull, straight through his eyeballs. The mad ringing in his ears reminded him of the shrieking metal, when the shuttle he piloted, crashed to the ground.  
  
It was amazing, how quickly can a body recover from a stunning grenade. First thing, he felt, was his body coming back. The pins and needles running through his flesh was an agonizing relief reminding him of the reality. The pain in his head wasn´t so welcomed, but at least, it forced him to open his eyes.  
  
"Oh crap," was the first sentence coming from his mouth, when with half-blinded eyes he found himself looking at the wrong end of some weird energy weapon. The man treaming it at the good end dazzled him with one triumphant smile.  
  
Tom will never forget that smile, because just in the second, when he spotted the brightly white teeth, the man´s head exploded into thousand pieces , most of them covering Tom´s torso and face. Tom´s head turned to the right, and he saw L´shtar, leaning to the wall, but nevertheless aiming his gun to the air. The soldier´s body (or what was left of it), crumpled to the floor with a sickening splash. Tom tiredly and in shock shut his eyes. When he opened them again, L´shtar was making his way toward him, slowly and painfully. It´s time to pull myself together, thought Tom and stood up, trying to wipe his face cleen with the sleeve of his shirt, only succeding in smearing the blood and brain matter to the parts, which were till now relatively clean.  
  
"Are you all right?" asked the Salvorian with thin voice, clearly worried.  
  
"Yeah," answered Tom and grinned, rendering the struggle with dirt. "Thanks, for that," he pointed at the body on the floor.  
  
"Well... if you´ve died, your ship wouldn´t have help us a bit." confessed L´shtar.  
  
"So you want our help?"  
  
"I don´t see, how we could survive another two or three hours, till B´arn´s arrival."  
  
"Why? If this was the only group..."  
  
"No, the government would send others. They´ve a secret base on Jurlik VI. If this guys wouldn´t report in time, another group will come. We must go, quickly, to your flyer. We can wait somewhere else on the planet..."  
  
"Or contact Voyager," suggested Paris, even if the answer was no.  
  
"Allright. I will go for Shrill-"  
  
"No, wait here. You´re injured," L´shtar was about to protest, but then his face grimaced in pain, and he plainly nodded.  
  
"Just watch the force field," adressed him Tom and turned away. Finding the entry wasn´t the problem, but how to get through? Sure, if the safety system was activated, why should be this field down? Tom was ready to return, when the field shimmered, and Shril B´glar stepped out, worried frown on her face.  
  
"L´shtar?" she asked and furrowed her brows, when she get a clear look at Tom. "Khar´lash! What happened?"  
  
"What? Oh... this isn´t mine," he said and threw her an assuring smile. "L´shtar was hurt... but he´s okay," he added, seeing the look of horror on her face.  
  
"Come, we must go." She let him lead her ahead, when the screaming tore through air. They both stopped and listened. Tom could hear curses and gasping - clear signs of a fight.  
  
"Stay here!" he ordered and not waiting for answer, ran towards the sounds.  
  
It was an impressive view, for someone, who didn´t see a Salvorian fight. It was a bundle of blue color, black coats and white hairs, constantiously screaming in rage and cursing. Tom thought the Salvorians to be cold blooded, but this was just like to watch the fight of Kernan dogs, which were trained to kill and maim. Tom could just look, because the two aliens never separated enough for him to aim and fire.  
  
L´shtar was loosing, he could see that. The wound in his shoulder was profusely bleeding and every move caused pain. The other man had the odds, but only for a while, when L´shtar throwed them both to the wall, breaking the man´s right hand in the process. They both stumbled on the ground, separating and Tom aimed.  
  
"Stop it, right now!" he told the two men, who were trying to continue in the fight. L´shtar looked at him and breathed out in relief, clutching at his shoulder and trying hard to supress the pain. The other man however, had other plans. Grinning from ear to ear, he held up a little device and pointed at Tom.  
  
"Put down that weapon, otherwise... I will press this button. I shall tell you, that the death from Troc´lan is far worse, then you can imagine." Tom shook his head, recognizing the man.  
  
"Ah... you´re Parc´r," he smiled, but didn´t level the phaser. "I´m sorry, I didn´t recognize you the first time we met... you remember, the sickbay? Perhaps not. It was late night, and you was too preoccupied."  
  
"K´lum! You will die!" he growled and pressed the button. Tom was stunned, when the thing on his arm slightly vibrated, but otherwise felt fine. Parc´r watched him and frowned more, than Paris imagined possible.  
  
"I don´t think so,"  
  
"What...!" he mumbled, when Tom didn´t collapse nor show symptoms of pain. Parc´r wanted to press again, but Tom didn´t give him a chance. He fired.  
  
"You... it was in time," sighed L´shtar, trembling. Tom looked at him confused. "He activated it first. If he pushed the button again... you would be dead."  
  
"Oh," said Tom and nodded. "Christ!" he murmured, when the meaning of words hit him. He didn´t know, when his legs gave away and he slumped to the floor. He neither sensed the presence of the woman. There was just the thought of what if and the lightheaded feeling, creeping through his body.  
  
Shril B´glar walked to the impassive form of Parc´r and assured herself, that he is dead. She than picked up the control device and deactivated it, for good. After that, all her attention was pointed at L´shtar, who was now only half-conscious.  
  
"L´shtar, stay with me," she pleaded. "I need your help! The force-fields wouldn´t hold long and I can´t protect you alone. Please..." she tried to stop the bleading, but was unsuccesfull. Paris wasn´t any help now, because he was either asleep, or unconscious.  
  
"What do I do?" she asked and nearly jumped out of her skin, when someone answered her.  
  
"Let us help." It was a man, with weird tattoo on his face. Shrill retreated with fear, but was stopped by a wall.  
  
"Don´t harm us," she pleaded, scared.  
  
"We are from Voyager," said the man and pointed at someone behind him. The half-Klingon emerged and growling all the way, rushed to Paris´ side.  
  
"This is our chief engineer, B´Elanna Torres. I´m Chakotay. Commander Tuvok," he introduced the half Vulcan, who was controlling Parc´r.  
  
"He´s dead," announced Tuvok and began to check L´shtar.  
  
"We... we didn´t wanted to harm him," explained Shril B´glar. "Really... just... it was a bad plan."  
  
"Yes, it was," said B´Elanna, scowling at the woman, holding Tom in her arms.  
  
"How is he?" asked Chakotay.  
  
"Burning up and unconscious. And... I don´t know, what´s on his face?" she asked, clearly confused.  
  
"I think it´s brain matter," stated Tuvok, looking at the pilot. "Not his, I believe."  
  
B´Elanna´s eyes went wide for a moment, then she sighed.  
  
"He need a visit in sickbay," she told Chakotay.  
  
"Yeah, but not from here. We will carry him outside the tunnels, then transport to Voyager."  
  
"What´ll be with us?" asked Shril B´glar sheepishly.  
  
"I believe, that your partner need medical attention too," stated Tuvok.  
  
"Are we... arrested?"  
  
"It´s on the captain," told her Chakotay, "but I think, that we could make a deal."  
  
The Salvorian woman nodded and helped them stood L´shtar up, when something ocurred to her.  
  
"Wait! There are others..."  
  
"Yeah, we came across one of your man..."  
  
"It is not! They´re soldiers, send here to kill us!"  
  
"They? We just found alive one,"  
  
"In the storage room is the other."  
  
"And that is?"  
  
"Oh... the field. I-I must tell the code, then it deactivates."  
  
"Where it is? Show us. B´Elanna... stay with them," ordered her Chakotay and with Tuvok and Shril B´glar, they headed towards the wall.  
  
It didn´t take much time, realized B´Elanna later. When the field dropped, the soldier was trying to get away. He used one stunning grenade, but when he was passing by, Tuvok had stopped him with a Vulcan nerve pinch to the neck. The men fell to the ground with grunt, unconscious. It was just a matter of time then, to get them all out of the caves and transport at Voyager. The two soldiers was transported straight to the brig, while L´shtar and Tom appeared in the sickbay. Shril B´glar along with Chakotay headed for captain´s office.  
  
He wasn´t in the cave anymore. He was lying on something soft and was covered by blankets. Even if he was shivering slightly, it was due to fever. Hm... comfortable, but not quite. Not his own bed, which was pity. He could think of only one place, where he could possibly be - at least, the place, where he would be rather then in cave.  
  
Yeah, it was sickbay, thought Tom in relief, opening his eyes to the dimly lit room. And it was night, otherwise there would be much more movement. He blinked, trying to break through the fog in his brain, and couldn´t supress a smile, as he caught a sight of dark forehead with ridges, laying next to his hand.  
  
"´Lanna," he whispered, not wanting to draw the Doc´s attention. The half-Klingon mumbled something in her mother language, than turned her head on the other side, sleeping. Tom smirked and nudged the woman´s arm. B´Elanna shot upside, nearly falling from the chair, and Tom was now openly laughing.  
  
"Tom! You´re awake!" she exclaimed, than frowned. "What are you laughing at?"  
  
"Oh... nothing. Just glad to see your lovely face," he answered quickly and groaned, as the hologram appeared next his bed.  
  
"Ah, Mr. Paris. It was time... I thought, that you want to sleep till our return to Alpha Quadrant." Tom grimaced at the hologram.  
  
"I love you too," he said sarcastically.  
  
"Well, it´s just a result of fever, don´t bother, Mr. Paris. It will go away," assured him the Doc. B´Elanna was contemplating, whether to look amused or offended. She choose the first.  
  
"I have some good news for you, Mr. Paris," began the Doc.  
  
"I can return to my quarters?" he asked hopefully.  
  
"No," stated resolutly the doctor. "But in a day or two... The Maltrop is effective, so just as your fever is gone, you are free to go."  
  
"Can´t I go now?" he tried once again.  
  
"No," replied the doctor and turned to B´Elanna. "Don´t tire him out. You have ten minutes, then I wan´t you to go to sleep - in your quarters." With one last look at his restless patient, he walked away. Once alone, Tom half-satisfied looked at B´Elanna.  
  
"What - you aren´t mad?" she asked wondering.  
  
"Why? Believe me, sickbay is better than cave. And even if not, I´m not feeling to a runaway. Maybe tomorrow... How long am I here, by the way? And how did you find us?"  
  
"It´s almost a day, now. We just followed Parc´r to the cave. He led us straight to you. But we were a little late..."  
  
"Yeah, you can say that. Is he dead?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What the others?"  
  
"They´re all right. Well... L´shtar was there few hours, but the Doc patched him up. The woman wasn´t injured."  
  
"Good. Where are they now?"  
  
"Gone." said B´Elanna and Tom blinked.  
  
"As if... not on Voyager?"  
  
"Yeah," she smiled. "They returned to the planet and waited for their friends."  
  
"The captain let them go?" Tom was relieved, even if a little surprised.  
  
"After the little chat she had with them? Yes, she let them go and bid them farewell. It seems, that our alliance with Salvorians will have to wait a while. Anyway... we landed the two soldiers on Freya III with the polite message to K´lau explaining the situation."  
  
"He will be pissed,"  
  
"I don´t think so. Even if, we are out of Freyan territory, so don´t bother." She turned to see the approaching EMH, and quickly put some PADD to his hand, then leaned close, kissing him on the lips. The Doctor coughed and Tom groaned, not wanting to spoil this moment.  
  
"By the way... L´shtar something left for you."  
  
"What is it?" he asked, equally whispering.  
  
"He mentioned some program to distract the EMH and the schemes of the cloaking device used on Delta Flyer. To the second I will look at later. Enjoy it." she said, then gave him one final kiss and left without another word. The doctor just glared after her retreating form, suspecting something, but not quite knowing what.  
  
Tom just smiled, hiding the PADD under the blanket. He will see, maybe he would find tonight a strength to make a short visit, at the quarters of one half-Klingon.  
  
THE END  
  
That´s it. I know, it was perhaps full of mistakes, but as I said above, I don´t have anyone who could´ve beta read me in english. If it was worth your time, mail me. If not, well... just don´t send flames (I´m not a best fireman:-)  
  
Feedback appreciated  
  
For more, look at my webpage : 


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